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The Crystal Spring Nosed Her Way Out of Herrick’s Cove. 


(Partners Three) 


PARTNERS 

THREE 

BY 

® RALPH HENRY BARBOUR « 


T 


© 


ILLUSTRATED 
BY CHARLES M.RELYEA 



M. A. DONOHUE & CO. 

PUBLISHERS CHICAGO. 


Copyright 1913 
M. A. Donohue & Company 
Chicago 









©CLA350639 


CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I Jack Herrick, Skipper 1 

II A Rescue 11 

III A Pair of Amateur Salts 23 

IV Buried Treasure 41 

V Bee Composes an “Ode to the Sea” . . 53 

VI Bee Plans an Expedition 65 

VII On Nobody’s Island 79 

VIII Hal Names the Launch 91 

IX The Expedition Lands 109 

X Bee Digs for Treasure 125 

XI The Man With the Glass Eye 137 

XII The Sunken Wreck 149 

XIII Marooned! 161 

XIV Bill Glass to the Rescue. 175 

XV A Voyage of Discovery 193 

XVI The House of Many Clocks 205 

XVII The Invader’s Retreat 215 

XVIII Bee Finds a New Clue 223 

XIX Bill Returns the Call 235 

XX Trained Clams 245 

XXI “Schooner Ashore!” 257 

XXII In the Teeth of the Gale 267 

XXIII The Life-Boat Wins 277 

XXIV Old Verny’s Wharf 287 

XXV Mr. Folsom Makes an Offer 301 

XXVI The Letter in the Dory 315 

XXVII Treasure Trove! 321 





Partners Three 

CHAPTER I 
Jack Herrick, Skipper 

The Crystal Spring nosed her way out of 
Herrick’s Cove, caught the southeasterly breeze 
on her big sail and moved lazily along past the 
end of Greenhaven Neck. The Crystal Spring 
was not built for speed. She was snub-nosed 
and square-sterned and wide in the beam. The 
mast was stepped well forward and a short bow- 
sprit made room for a jibsail that was seldom 
used. Abaft the mast was a small hatch nearly 
flush with the deck. Amidship was a second 
hatch, larger than the first. Coiled over it, 
like a gray snake, was a length of two-inch hose 
attached at one end to a rusty pump set into 
the deck. The Crystal Spring was not a beauty, 
no matter how you looked at her. She was 
painted black, as to hull, and gray as to deck 
and hatches. Her mast needed scraping and her 
patched mainsail was grayer than her deck. On 
the stem was the inscription ‘ ‘Crystal Spring, 
Greenhaven.” She sat low in the water and 
moved sluggishly. To be sure a three-mile 
breeze isn’t conducive to speed, but even in a 


2 


PARTNERS THREE 


gale the Crystal Spring wouldn’t have shown 
her heels to anything that sailed out of Green- 
haven. 

With his feet in the shallow cockpit sat the 
skipper and crew of the Crystal Spring , one arm 
draped over the long tiller. The skipper and 
crew was sixteen years of age, had a good-looking 
weather-tanned face, a sturdy body and was 
named John Herrick — and called Jack. He had 
a pair of nice brown eyes, a straight nose well 
freckled, a fairly wide mouth and a square and 
rather aggressive chin. Just at present his 
mouth was puckered up, for Jack was whistling — 
I almost said a tune. Let’s simply remark that 
he was whistling and let it go at that, for the 
fact is that Jack could no more whistle a tune 
than he could sing one; and if you ever heard 
him try to sing you’d understand. As he 
whistled, his gaze roamed from the sail to the 
shore and thence out to sea. Seaward there 
was little to look at — only a smudge of smoke 
like a narrow cloud trailing above the horizon. 
Shoreward was the end of the Neck and the squat 
white lighthouse agleam in the sunlight of a late 
June morning. Behind the lighthouse was the 
keeper’s little cottage with its weathered roof 


JACK HERRICK, SKIPPER 


3 


and green blinds, and its tiny garden of sweet 
peas and nasturtiums, making a spot of bright 
color against the yellow-green of beach-grass 
and the gray of boulders. The tiller moved a 
little, the sail flapped for an instant and then 
filled again and the sloop slowly turned to pass 
Popple Head and run along close to the granite 
breakwater, seeking the harbor entrance. 

With the breeze behind him Jack found the 
canvas cap he wore uncomfortable and dropped 
it into the cockpit, revealing a somewhat 
touselled head of brown hair. I call Jack’s 
hair brown for want of a better word. As a 
matter of fact it was of some indescribable shade 
between brown and the color of oakum, and, 
at that, it had lighter streaks in it. I think 
that nature had intended him to have quite 
respectable and commonplace brown hair, but 
as his cap was usually just where it was now — 
that is, off his head — the sun and the winds and 
salt spray and the fogs had worked their wills. 
On the whole, the result, especially when the 
sun was on it, was rather pleasing. The rest 
of Jack’s attire was quite simple. A white 
canvas blouse, clean if not altogether guiltless 
of stains, covered the upper part of his body 


4 


PARTNERS THREE 


and a pair of old gray trousers did for the rest. 
He wore no shoes, although two brown canvas 
“sneakers,” in each of which a brown cotton 
stocking was tucked, reposed in the cockpit. 

A man in khaki overalls and a red flannel 
shirt emerged from the door of the lighthouse 
and waved a hand. Jack waved back. The 
man was Captain Horace Tucker, the lighthouse 
keeper. Captain Horace was a distant relation 
of Jack’s on his mother’s side, and Jack called 
him uncle, although the relationship was not 
really as close as that term implied. The light- 
house fell astern and the long, gray wall of the 
breakwater stretched away beside him. Jack 
scrambled to his feet, placed one bare foot on 
the tiller and craned his head. As the tide was 
almost at flood he could just see over the top 
of the breakwater. For a minute he scanned 
the harbor. Then, with a shake of his head, he 
jumped back into the cockpit. 

“Not much doing today, I guess,” he mut- 
tered. 

Half-way along the breakwater a man was 
fishing for perch. Jack headed the sloop further 
away so as not to interfere with him. As the 
Crystal Spring drew abreast, however, the 
fisherman called across. 


JACK HERRICK, SKIPPER 


5 


* ‘Much obliged, but there wa’n’t no call to do 
it. I ain’t had nary nibble so far. I cal’ate 
Friday’s storm’s driv all the fish out to sea.” 

“Try down by the beacon,” called Jack. 
“The water’s deeper there.” 

He pointed ahead of him and the fisherman 
nodded and pulled up his pole and line. Down 
the shore, beyond the little rocky island called 
The Lump, a hand-liner was coming in with all 
sails set. 

‘ ‘That’s Desco Benton,” murmured Jack. 
' T guess I can sell to him if that plaguey chug- 
boat don’t get to him first.” He eyed his sail 
anxiously, eased the sheet a bit and watched 
for the end of the breakwater with its red 
beacon light set up on a tripod of timbers, for 
all the world like a little fat man with three legs. 
The sunlight shone dazzlingly on the ruby glass 
as Jack swung the sloop around the end of the 
granite barrier and across the bar. Before him 
lay the big round harbor, with Gull Island 
almost in the center, and innumerable boats 
lining the fish wharves or anchored in the 
channels. At the left the old town of Green- 
haven ambled away up the hill, its white houses 
and crooked streets elbowing and jostling each 


6 


PARTNERS THREE 


other at every turn. Straight ahead, at the end 
of the mile-long basin, across what is known as 
the Neck Marsh, a second cluster of roofs showed 
where Cove Village lay along the edge of Lob- 
ster Cove. 

It was a busy scene even at nine o’clock in 
the morning. Over at the Eastern Halibut 
Company’s wharves two schooners were unload- 
ing; Jack could see the sunlight glinting on the 
white bellies of the big fish as they were pitched 
from deck to wharf; on Gull Island, a short 
distance ahead, Abner Lacy’s Esmeralda , which 
had been in collision with a steamer trawler off 
White Face Bar a few days before, was being 
winched up the railway for repairs; the ring of 
the mallets on the blocks and the clicking of 
the windlass came loudly across the quiet 
water. Half-way between island and Neck 
the ferryboat was churning its way; Jack could 
see Captain Trufitt edging along the narrow 
deck taking fares. On the town side of the 
harbor a whale-back was unloading coal and 
the rattle and hum of the hoisting engine beat 
incessantly across. An Italian salt bark, her 
battered red hull deep in the water, had berthed 
in the broad channel and a lighter was sidling 


JACK HERRICK, SKIPPER 


7 


up to her. They would unload until she drew 
less water and then take her over to one of the 
wharves. At the Folsom Company’s docks a 
dozen schooners were fitting for their summer 
trips to the Banks. Small sailboats and row- 
boats dotted the blue expanse and just beyond 
the inner end of Gull Island a neat steam- 
yacht, resplendent in white paint and mahogany 
and brass, awaited her turn on the marine rail- 
way. 

Over on the Neck side they were launching a 
sloop at Davis’s boat-yard where, hauled up 
on the shore and covered from the weather with 
canvas or boards, half a dozen sailing craft of 
various descriptions awaited their owners’ 
orders. There was a distinct odor of drying fish 
in the air — in almost any direction you could 
catch a glimpse of Ihe “flakes” behind the fish 
houses — which, mingling with the odors of 
lumber and pitch and paint from the yards, of 
seaweed from the shallow beach and of the soft, 
salty breeze from the ocean, constituted a 
fragrance that was as much a part of Green- 
haven as the granite hill on which it was built. 
Jack knew that odor well and loved it. He 
breathed it gratefully now as, guiding the 


8 


PARTNERS THREE 


Crystal Spring toward the broad channel, he 
saw Desco Benton’s Hetty and Grace rush past 
him near shore, shortening sail as she went. 
Jack cast an anxious gaze up the harbor. 

“I guess that chug-boat will beat me again,” 
he muttered, ‘ ‘though I don’t see her anywhere 
yet. Likely she’s at the landing. Get on, you 
old sea-crab!” 

The latter command was addressed to the 
Crystal Spring, which, now in the lee of the 
breakwater, was moving more leisurely than 
ever. Down the harbor the Hetty and Grace 
came about into the wind and Jack saw the 
anchor splash. It would take him ten min- 
utes, maybe, to reach her, for he would have to 
tack in a moment and stand over toward the 
shore. And then what he feared and expected 
happened. Out of the press of boats around the 
town landing a cat-rigged boat driven by a 
gasoline motor chugged its way. It was painted 
buff, with a black strip, and to the bare mast 
was fixed a white placard with the word “Water” 
on it in black letters. Straight across to the 
Hetty and Grace it went and Jack sighed and 
shrugged his shoulders. 

‘ ‘Either I’ll have to rig up an engine or go out 


JACK HERRICK, SKIPPER 


9 


of business,” he muttered. “Well, I'll try the 
steam-yacht.” 

But when, five minutes later, the sloop 
wallowed up to within hailing distance of the 
handsome Sea Mist, a man in blue coat and 
brass buttons informed him shortly that her 
tanks were full. 

“I’ve got the best water around these parts,” 
persisted Jack, as the Crystal Spring drifted by. 
6 It’s spring water right out of the ground this 
morning.” 

The man grinned. “That’s what they all 
say,” he jeered. “And it all tastes like bilge, 
too.” 

“Mine don’t. Better try some. Let me fill 
up a tank for you, sir.” 

' 'All full, I tell you.” The man turned away, 
Jack swung the helm over and the Crystal 
Spring began her day’s cruise in and out of 
the shipping. It was almost eleven before Jack 
made his first sale. A Portuguese fisherman 
bargained a good ten minutes. Then the Crys- 
tal Spring was made fast, the hose was lifted to 
the schooner’s deck and pulled down a forward 
hatchway and Jack, attaching the long handle 
to the pump, began his labor. It wasn’t easy 


10 


PARTNERS THREE 


work, but Jack’s muscles were used to it, and, as 
the fisherman had only one butt to fill, it was 
soon done. Then Jack took his pay, recoiled 
his hose, cast loose and went on again. What 
breeze there had been earlier in the day had 
almost died away and the sloop’s progress was 
slower than ever. Now and then Jack caught 
sight of the Morning Star , as the rival water 
boat was poetically named, chugging its way 
about the harbor. But even the Morning Star 
wasn’t doing much business today. At noon 
Jack made fast to the stern of a lumber schooner 
near the coal wharf and ate his lunch. It was 
pleasant enough there in the sun with so much 
to watch, and the lunch that Aunt Mercy had 
put up tasted awfully nice, just as it always did, 
but Jack wished that trade was brisker in his 
line of business. And just when he was think- 
ing that there was a hail across the basin. 

‘ ^Water boat, ahoy!” came a voice. 


CHAPTER II 
A Rescue 

Jack jumped to his feet, dropping two of 
Aunt Mercy’s best doughnuts, and looked about 
him. The hail came again and Jack saw Desco 
Benton waving from the Hetty and Grace . 

“Right-o !” he called, and quickly cast loose. 
It took the Crystal Spring almost five minutes 
to half drift and half sail across to the hand- 
liner, and all the way Jack wondered what 
Desco wanted of him. When he was alongside 
the master of the Hetty and Grace appeared at 
the rail again. 

“Where you been, Jack?” he growled. “I 
been waitin’ all the mornin’ for you.” 

‘ T’m sorry, Desco. I saw the other boat put- 
ting out to you and I thought you’d got water.” 

‘ Them Portuguese? Oh, I sent ’em off in a 
hurry. That stuff they pump ain’t water, it’s 
pizen. One of ’em says to me awhile back, he 
says, ‘Cap’n, this water’s the finest spring 
water in Greenhaven.’ ‘Spring water’ says I. 


12 


PARTNERS THREE 


‘Spring water! If it is it's last Spring water!' " 
And Desco leaned on the rail and laughed 
hoarsely at his joke. “Where' d they get that 
stuff, Jack?" 

“Right out of the hydrant at the landing," 
replied Jack with a smile. “I guess it's all 
right when there isn't a break in the main, but 
there usually is. Then it's about the color of 
pea soup. Have a good trip, Desco?" 

“Fair to middlin'! I landed 'em down to 
Boston. Here, give me hold o' that pipe. 
How you gettin' on, Jack?" 

“About the same way — fair to middling," 
answered Jack as he uncoiled the hose. ‘ ‘There 
isn't much doing just now. Folsom's boats get 
their water at the wharves these days. They 
had a pipe put in. I suppose it's cheaper for 
them that way." 

‘ ‘Huh, I cal'ate it is. An' Folsom never was 
a man to waste money. Cal'ate that's how he's 
come by so much on it. I got two butts 'most 
empty, Jack, and the deck cask, too. Here, 
Manuel, lug this down to the butts and sing out 
when you're ready. " 

While Jack pumped the master of the Hetty 
and Grace leaned across the rail and talked. He 


A RESCUE 


13 


was a big, broad-shouldered, yellow-bearded 
Nova Scotian, of thirty-five or thirty-six years, 
a good sailor and a lucky master. Desco 
Benton’s luck was proverbial around Green- 
haven and it had stood him in good stead many 
times. “As lucky as Desco Benton” was a 
common saying among the fishermen. The 
Hetty and Grace was a small but staunch little 
knockabout schooner, Essex built, with the lines 
of a pleasure yacht. Desco owned every plank 
and nail in her and was immensely proud of her. 
She could sail, too. That fact had been demon- 
strated two years before when Dexco had beaten 
every schooner in the fisherman’s race to Boston 
Light and back, having his anchor down and 
all sails snug when his nearest competitor came 
racing around the breakwater. 

“How’s your folks?” he asked presently. 
“I cal’ate that sister o’ yours is quite grown up 
by now.” 

“Faith’s thirteen, 1 ^uess,” Jack replied as he 
worked at the long pump handle. ‘ ‘She’s 
going to high school.” 

“I want to know! An’ how about you, Jack? 
Wasn’t you in high school, too?” 

‘ ‘Last year. I had to quit when father died. 


14 


PARTNERS THREE 


Someone had to make some money and it looked 
like it was up to me.” 

“Of course. Well, edication’s a good thing, 
I cal’ate, though I never had much time for it, 
but it don’t butter no parsnips, Jack.” 

“I’m going back some day, I expect. I want 
to, anyway. I want to go to college if I can, too. 
Looks now, though, as if I might be pretty old 
before that happens.” 

1 ‘College, eh? H’m; I had a feller sailin’ with 
me a couple o’ years back that was a college 
grad-oo-ate; name o’ Jasper Fitzwilliam. He 
wan’t no good at all. But I cal’ate there’s a 
difference in ’em. I caTate that young Folsom’ll 
have a college edication. I passed him cornin’ 
in, him an’ another boy. They was in a motor- 
boat about half a mile off The Lump. Seemed 
to be hove to off there an’ I cal’ate they was 
fishin’. He’ll be a rich man some day, when 
his dad dies, eh?” 

“I suppose so. He seems a nice chap. He 
was in my class at high school last year, though 
I didn’t know him very well. Funny place to 
fish, off The Lump, Desco. I never heard of 
anyone catching anything there, did you?” 

Desco shook his head as the signal came to 


A RESCUE 


1.5 


stop pumping. The sailor crawled up through 
the hatch with the hose and Desco bade him 
lug it forward to the small butt lashed by the 
deck-house. Jack began his labors again. 
Desco, his gaze fixed on the western sky, where 
a few white clouds like great bunches of cotton 
batting were creeping up, pointed with, the stem 
of his pipe. 

‘ 'There’s goin’ to be a thunder squall before 
long, Jack,” he said. "Better get your slicker 
out.” 

Jack looked and nodded. "It feels like it 
too,” he answered. "I’d just as lief it didn’t 
come till I get this old lugger back to the Cove.” 

There was a yell from the sailor at the hose 
and Jack stopped pumping. A few minutes 
later Desco dropped Jack’s line to the deck of 
the water boat and Jack, pushing the boom out, 
took the tiller again and waved good-bye to the 
master of the Hetty and Grace. 

For two hours or more he cruised slowly about 
the harbor without doing any business. It was 
almost four o’clock, and the Crystal Spring was 
ambling along just inside Gull Island, when 
Jack saw the lighthouse tender push her snub 
nose around the breakwater and turn sharp 


16 


PARTNERS THREE 


into the narrow channel. The tender usually 
bought water when she visited Greenhaven, and 
Jack, casting an anxious backward glance in 
search of the Morning Star, hustled the Crystal 
Spring all he knew how. The lighthouse tender 
was already out of sight behind the island, 
although Jack could see the tips of her masts 
above the buildings. His first tack took him 
to the end of the breakwater. Then, as the 
water boat came around, he saw that the tender 
already had her mud-hook down. The Morn - 
ing Star , it seemed, had for once been caught 
napping, and Jack smiled as he pushed the sloop 
along. But the smile faded a moment later, for 
around the farther end of the island sped the 
Morning Star , her eight horsepower engine 
puffing away at full speed. Had the Crystal 
Spring been similarly equipped it might have 
proved a very pretty race, but as it was the 
Morning Star had everything her own way. 
Before Jack had covered half the distance 
between him and the tender, the Morning Star 
was alongside the government boat. A moment 
later lines were passed aboard and the two 
Lampron brothers were manning the pump. 
As the Crystal Spring sailed by Tony Lampron 


A RESCUE 


17 


grinned across at Jack and shouted, “Where 
you been some time, eh, Mister?” and his 
brother Frank waved a hand and laughed. 
Jack made no sign, but he was angry and dis- 
appointed, and at the end of the island he 
swung the Crystal Spring around and headed up 
the channel for home. It wasn’t likely that 
there would be any more business today. And 
he didn’t much care, anyhow. Besides, the 
thunder storm that Desco had predicted was 
almost at hand, and Jack could see by the angry 
streaky look of the clouds that there would be 
wind as well as rain. He didn’t care to be 
caught outside in a blow. The Crystal Spring 
was staunch enough but she was anything but 
dry in dirty weather. Jack resolved to get 
around Popple Head and at least under the lee 
of the Neck before the storm burst. 

To be on the safe side, however, for already 
the thunder was rumbling, he kicked down the 
latch of a little locker under the poop and pulled 
out a yellow oilskin coat and hat. He substi- 
tuted his shoes and stockings for the oilskins and 
slammed the locker door shut again just as the 
sharp detonations of an engine exhaust reached 
him. A stone-throw to leeward Charley Paige, 


18 


PARTNERS THREE 


leaning against the tiller of his little power boat, 
waved to him and pointed westward. Jack 
waved back and, nodding his head, luffed the 
Crystal Spring around through the swell of the 
fisherman and headed along the breakwater. 
The breeze had grown flukey and of a sudden a 
great gray cloud passed over the sun and the 
ocean darkened to steel color. A clap of thunder 
broke overhead. A puff of wind came out of the 
west and the boom went down as the first puff 
of the squall caught the big sail. Then came a 
drop of rain and Jack, straddling the tiller, 
donned his oilskins, buttoning the long coat 
closely about him, and pulled the sou’easter 
down over his head. It was evident that he 
was in for a wetting after all. 

The Crystal Spring began to roll as the wind 
increased, behaving in a most frolicsome, undig- 
nified manner. Half-way between the beacon 
and the lighthouse point the rain began in 
earnest, slanting out of the west and pelting at 
Jack’s back vindictively. There was quite a 
sea by now, although the rain flattened the sur- 
face somewhat and the squall blew the tops of 
the waves into spume. Jack, finding himself 
in for it, began to whistle tunelessly, leaning 


A RESCUE 


19 


against the tiller and peering out from under the 
brim of his sou’easter. It was too thick to see 
very far ahead and it behooved him to be watch- 
ful, since a fisherman might be beating his way 
in around Popple Head. But he sighted nothing 
and the lighthouse was abeam and he brought 
the sloop’s blunt nose around. In another 
minute he would be in the lee of the shore and 
well out of some nasty weather. The thunder 
still crashed at intervals and now and then the 
dun clouds were rent asunder by the livid flashes 
of lightning. The lighthouse dropped astern 
and the Crystal Spring , with a final impatient 
roll, settled back on an evener keel. And at 
that moment, following a crash of thunder, Jack 
heard a faint hail. 

He shaded his eyes with his hand and peered 
shoreward. But as far as he could see there 
was no one in sight. He had about reached the 
conclusion that he had been mistaken when the 
hail came again, a mere atom of sound above 
the rush of rain and sea and the creaking com- 
plaint of the sloop’s timbers. Jack turned sea- 
ward and strained his eyes through the murk. 
At first only a blank gray wall of mist rewarded 
him, but as his gaze accustomed itself to the 


20 


PARTNERS THREE 


task, suddenly a darker blur, something neither 
rain nor sea, came to his vision for a moment 
and then was lost again. Half doubting, Jack 
hauled on the sheet and jammed the helm to 
starboard. The Crystal Spring came about with 
a resentful lunge that sent the water in her big 
tank swashing noisily from side to side. With 
his eyes fixed ahead Jack gave the sloop all she 
could carry and in a moment the squall caught 
her again as she passed out of the lee of the land 
and dipped the end of the long boom in the rac- 
ing sea. Again came the hail, clearer this time, 
and seemingly from off the port bow. 

Jack moved the tiller a little, peering out from 
under the sail. And then, almost ahead, a 
small boat jumped into view, a tiny craft with 
two figures huddled in her. Jack shouted a 
response and kept on, and as the Crystal Spring 
staggered past the smaller craft he saw that the 
latter was a motor boat, perhaps not over 
eighteen feet long, apparently broken down. 
In another moment she was lost to sight. It 
was no easy matter to bring the water boat’s 
head into the wind and fully five minutes passed 
before Jack, allowing for the drift, sighted the 
launch again. Then, steadying the Crystal 



(Partners Three) 


(Chapter 2) 





A RESCUE 


21 


Spring as best he could, he bore up to the dis- 
abled boat and made a trumpet of his hands. 

“Stand by to catch a rope!” he shouted. 
There was a faint response from the launch and 
Jack, seizing a coil of half-inch rope from the 
locker, snagged the tiller with his knee and got 
ready to throw. The sloop wallowed up to 
within a dozen feet of the launch and with a 
sweep of his arm sent the coil hurtling across 
the water. It was a lucky throw and as the 
Crystal Spring went by Jack saw one of the 
occupants seize the rope. 

“Make fast to the bow cleat,” he shouted 
back, ' 'and haul in!” 

A figure moved cautiously along the pit of 
the tossing launch, crawled to the deck and with 
fumbling fingers tied the line to the cleat. The 
launch had been drifting stern foremost and now 
Jack brought the Crystal Spring around so that 
the launch might come up under her lee. Aboard 
the latter they were hauling valiantly and in a 
minute the little motor boat was alongside and 
the occupants were climbing aboard the sloop. 
They were sorry-looking mariners. Both ap- 
peared to be boys of about Jack’s age. Neither 
wore oilskins and their blue serge suits were 


22 


PARTNERS THREE 


soaked through and through. One of the boys 
had lost his cap and his hair was plastered 
tightly to his head. 

‘ 'Bring that slack with you,” Jack directed, 
“and make the line fast to that cleat there. 
That’s the ticket. Now then, I’ll have you 
ashore in a minute or two, but you’ll find a couple 
of blankets in the bunk for’ard if you want them. 
Open that for’ard hatch and you’ll see them.” 

But the boys shook their heads as they sank 
to the cockpit. “We can’t get — any wetter,” 
said one. “We’re terribly much obliged — to 
you for — c ‘He paused, and then, ‘ ‘Why, it’s 
Jack Herrick, isn’t it?” he exclaimed. 

Jack nodded as he gazed ahead in search of 
the Cove. 

‘ ‘That’s me. And you’re Harry Folsom. 
Catch any fish?” 


CHAPTER III 
A Pair of Amateur Salts 


A quarter of an hour later the three boys were 
sitting about the “air-tight ” stove in the front 
room of the little, white, clap-boarded, green- 
shuttered house that was Jack’s home. They 
had left the Crystal Spring safely moored in the 
Cove, with the motor boat swinging astern, 
dropped into the little dory and paddled ashore. 
From the little beach up to the Herrick house 
was but a few yards, and in a trice they were 
inside, listening to the surprised ejaculations of 
Aunt Mercy and dripping water onto the immac- 
ulate waxed floor of the “passage.” Aunt 
Mercy Fuller was Jack’s mother’s sister, and 
ever since Mrs. Herrick had died, when Jack 
was only four years old, the sharp-voiced, kind- 
hearted little woman had kept house at the 
Cove. After the death of Jack’s father, only a 
year ago, Aunt Mercy’s presence was more 
indispensible than ever, for Jack’s sister, Faith, 
was only thirteen, and so, still in school. All 


24 


PARTNERS THREE 


of Jack’s dry clothing had been requisitioned and 
the drafts in the stove opened wide, and now, 
none the worse for their wetting, the two visitors 
were recounting their adventures to the house- 
hold. 

Harry Folsom was nearly Jack’s age, being 
some three months younger. He was like Jack 
in many ways, for which the fact that each 
came of an old Greenhaven family was perhaps 
accountable. Harry’s hair was of quite an 
ordinary shade of dark brown and his face was 
not tanned and seasoned by sun and weather. 
And his eyes were gray instead of brown. But 
dissimilarity seemed to end there. He was 
much like Jack in build and weight and he had 
the same easy, careless swing from the hips when 
he walked, and the same way of looking straightly 
and unwinkingly when he talked. Harry’s 
father was Josiah Folsom, the head of the big 
fish company of Greenhaven, and a man of much 
wealth. He and Jack had been together at high 
school the year before, but last fall Jack had left 
school to sail the Crystal Spring and Harry, or 
Hal, as he was called, had entered Norwalk 
Hall, the big preparatory school some thirty 
miles distant and just over the line into New 
Hampshire. 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 25 


His companion Hal had introduced as Beaman 
Mansfield. Harry called him Bee and so we 
might as well do the same. Bee was visiting 
Harry, it seemed, having arrived with him in 
Greenhaven only the evening before. They 
were roommates at school and evidently great 
chums. Beaman Mansfield was fifteen years 
of age, slight, tall, black of hair and eye, and 
almost sallow as to complexion. As Harry 
narrated their exploits Bee interpolated remarks 
which, if they were not especially informative, 
seldom failed to amuse. 

“You see,” said Harry, “that launch is a new 
one. Dad got it for me a week ago and I never 
saw it until yesterday. This morning we 
thought it would be a good plan to go for a sail 
in her. So we filled her tank with gasoline and 
started out. I’d never run a motor boat before, 
but Bee said he knew something about the 
things — ” 

“I know a heap more now,” observed Bee, 
gravely. 

‘So we started. She went finely for about 
ten minutes and we were down off The Lump. 
Then she stopped. I told Bee to get busy and 
find out what the trouble was and he monkeyed 


26 


PARTNERS THREE 


around with a wrench and a screw-driver for 
almost half an hour.” 

“I deny it!” exclaimed Bee. “I knew at 
once where the trouble lay!” 

“Yes, you did!” 

1 T certainly did! It was in the engine.” 

“Oh! Well, it took you long enough to dig 
it out. Anyhow, we got her started again and 
she went like a breeze; must have made at least 
twelve miles an hour, Jack, and we were about 
two miles down the shore when — bing , stopped 
again!” 

“And she’s been 'binging’ ever since,” mur- 
mured Bee. 

' 'By then it was time for lunch. So we rowed 
ashore near the life saving station and walked 
up to that little store where the old toll-gate 
used to be. It’s quite a ways up there.” 

' 'About ten miles,” said Bee thoughtfully. 

Jack laughed. ' 'I dare say it seemed that far 
if you were hungry. It’s about three-quarters 
of a mile, I guess.” 

“Well, we were hungry,” replied Bee. “I 
was, at any rate. I’d had nothing since break- 
fast but that nasty yellow cup-grease and gaso- 
line.” 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 27 


‘ ‘We bought some crackers and some sardines 
and two oranges. I’ll bet old man Doonin had 
had them all for at least six months.” 

“I think they were some of his Christmas 
stock left over,” remarked Bee reflectively. 

“They were pretty fierce, anyway, and we 
decided the best thing to do was to hike home 
and get a real feed. So we went back to the 
launch and tried to start her again. But she 
wouldn’t start — ” 

“It was another case of ‘bing!’ ” said Bee. 

“And it took us all of an hour to get going. 
Bee and I took turns at the fly wheel — ” 

“I beg your pardon?” remarked Bee, sitting 
up quickly. ‘ ‘Did I understand you to say that 
we took turns? Allow me to correct you, Hal, 
I took turns!” 

“Well, I like your cheek! My arm’s as stiff 
as — as — as a board! And it aches every time I 
move it! I’ll bet I turned that old wheel over 
two thousand times today; and it weighs a ton, 
too!” 

“What sort of an engine has she got?” asked 
Jack. 

“An eight-horsepower Philbert.” 

“I think myself it’s a chestnut,” observed 


28 


PARTNERS THREE 


Bee. ' 'And if you think your arm aches, why, 
I just wish you had mine!” 

"Did — did you get the boat started finally?” 
asked Faith anxiously. The boys laughed, and 
Faith, a pretty, dark-haired young lady, inclined 
to be shy, blushed. 

"Yes, finally,” answered Hal. "That was 
about — what time, Bee?” 

"About two hours after lunch time,” replied 
Bee, gloomily. 

' 'Yes, about half-past two, I guess. Then she 
went pretty well for awhile, although she choked 
and coughed a good deal — ” 

"She has consumption,” said Bee, with a 
shake of his head. "She won’t last long.” 

"She stopped once near the outer buoy and 
again just off the light. And that time Bee said 
he was going to fix her right and began to take 
the engine to pieces.” 

"It was the only thing to do,” explained Bee 
gravely to Jack. "Take her to pieces and put 
her together again.” 

"You got her to pieces all right,” continued 
Hal, ' 'but you couldn’t get her together again.” 

"Well, there were two or three small thing- 
mabobs I couldn’t find places for. I still think 
she’s just as well without them.” 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 29 


“All that time we were drifting along the 
breakwater. We haven’t any anchor yet, you 
see, and there was no place to tie up to. Then 
the squall came up while we were trying to get 
her to start and the first thing we knew we were 
going out to sea at about a mile a minute.” 

“She went faster than she did at any other 
time all day,” said Bee. ‘ Tt just showed what 
fixing the engine did for her.” 

“Yes, you ‘fixed’ it all right,” said Hal, sar- 
castically. ‘ ‘If it hadn’t been for Jack we’d be 
half-way to Africa by now.” 

“I’ve always wanted to see Africa,” replied 
his chum, calmly. ‘ ‘It must be a very interest- 
ing place.” 

“Maybe,” laughed Hal, “but I don’t care to 
go there in an eighteen-foot motor boat. Of 
course we couldn’t do much when the blow came. 
We tried to keep her bow into the waves, after 
we’d found we couldn’t row her, but that was 
pretty hard work. And after awhile, when we 
got around Popple Head, we gave that up and 
put all our strength into shouting. I don’t 
mind telling you that we were getting sort of 
scared when you came, Jack.” 

“You had a right to be,” said Jack, dryly. 


30 


PARTNERS THREE 


‘ ‘If I hadn’t heard you you’d have had a pretty 
wet night of it. That wind would have taken 
you across toward the Isle of Shoals, I guess, 
if you’d floated long enough. Did you have 
anything to bail with?” 

“Only my cap,” said Bee. “And it wasn’t 
satisfactory. I told Hal I thought his would 
have been better.” 

‘ ‘Dear, dear,” murmured Aunt Mercy. ‘ ‘You 
boys certainly had a narrow escape from death. 
I hope you won’t ever try anything so silly 
again.” 

“No’m, we won’t,” Hal assured her. “We’re 
not going out in her again until we have an anchor 
along.” 

“And a tomato can,” suggested Bee. 

“A tomato can?” Hal questioned. “What’s 
that for?” 

“To bail with.” 

‘ ‘Why not have a bailer?” laughed Jack. 

“All the boats I’ve ever been in,” replied 
Bee, soberly,” carried empty tomato cans for 
bailing purposes. I wouldn’tjmow how to use 
anything else.” 

“And I guess,” said Jack, “you’d better get 
your engine put together again before you take 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 31 


another trip. It might be that the things your 
friend couldn’t get back were sort of necessary, 
Hal.” 

“I don’t think so,” said Bee. “Maybe, 
though. I’m not sure that I know where they 
are. Did I give them to you, Hal?” 

“You did not!” replied Hal indignantly. 
“And if you’ve gone and lost them — ” 

‘ ‘Well, they may be kicking around under the 
grating somewhere. After we get the water 
out of her we’ll have a look. I don’t believe, 
though, we’ll ever find them; they were little 
trifling things.” 

The others laughed and Jack arose and went 
to a window. It was still raining hard, but the 
thunder and lightning had passed over and the 
wind had diminished considerably. The old 
iron-case clock on the mantel behind the glow- 
ing stove said a quarter past five. 

“You fellows had better stay and have some 
supper,” he said. ‘ ‘There’s no use trying to get 
back in this rain.” 

“Oh, much obliged,” said Hal, “but we can 
get across to the ferry all right. It’s just a little 
way, isn’t it?” 

‘ ‘About a quarter of a mile. But your 


32 


PARTNERS THREE 


clothes aren’t dry, I'm afraid. You’re welcome 
to wear what you have on, but they don’t fit 
very well. The best thing to do is to telephone 
over to your folks that you’re all right and then 
stay here until your things get dried.” 

‘‘We — 11, it’s awfully good of you.” Hal 
looked inquiringly at his friend. Bee appeared 
not to see the question. He only signed com- 
fortably and stretched his long legs farther 
toward the stove. “If we won’t be too much 
bother, Miss — Miss Fuller, I guess we’ll stay.” 

1 ‘You won’t be any bother at all,” Aunt Mercy 
assured him. “I’ll just tell Susan to cook a 
little more supper.” 

“Let me go, Auntie,” said Faith. 

‘ ‘No, I’ll go. I cal’ate I’d better get down a 
pot of that barberry preserve.” 

“Gee,” laughed Jack, “I wish we had ship- 
wrecked folks to supper every night, don’t you, 
sis?” and Faith shyly owned that she did. 
Aunt Mercy pretended to be insulted. 

‘ ‘I cal’ate, Jack Herrick, that you don’t ever 
suffer for preserves in this house!” she declared. 

‘ ‘No, ma’am, not exactly for preserves. But 
that barberry preserve — say, sis, we ain’t had 
any of that since about Christmas, have we?” 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 33 


“You had some last Sunday night,” returned 
Aunt Mercy with asperity. ‘ 'And I’ve a good 
mind not to give you any, if you can’t remember 
when you do have it!” 

“Quite right, ma’mn,” said Bee approvingly. 
“I think it would be good punishment if you 
just gave it to the rest of us. I’m sure I shan’t 
forget it, ma’am!” 

Aunt Mercy regarded him severely. 
“Humph!” she said. “I cal’ate, young man, 
you don’t miss much in this world for want of a 
tongue in your head!” Whereupon, with a 
grim smile, she sailed out of the room. 

Hal chuckled. ' T guess that will hold you for 
awhile, old Bee!” Then, turning to Jack, 
“Did you say you had a telephone here?” he 
asked. 

“Jack shook his head. “No, but there’s one 
at Cottrell’s store, just over the hill. I’ll run 
over there, if you like, and tell your folks you’ll 
be home after supper.” 

“What’s the matter with my going?” asked 
Hal. “Let me have your oilskin coat, Jack, 
and point out the way. I guess I ought to let 
father know I’m all right. He may be getting 
worried.” 


34 


PARTNERS THREE 


The two boys went out, leaving Bee and Faith 
together in the quaint little low-ceilinged room. 
Bee looked about him with interest. “You’ve 
got an awfully comfortable home here, Miss 
Faith,” he said. “It’s so sort of old-fashioned 
and nice.” 

“It’s quite an old house,” said Faith embar- 
rassedly. ‘ ‘Father’s grandfather built it almost 
a hundred years ago. There wasn’t much of 
anything on the Neck in those days, they say, 
except the lighthouse. Do you live around 
here?” 

“No, my home’s in Pennsylvania. I wish I 
did live around here, though, for I’m crazy 
about the water and boating and fishing and — ” 

“And being shipwrecked?” suggested Faith 
with a laugh. 

“N — no,” Bee acknowledged, echoing her 
laughter, “I guess I can do without that for 
awhile. I was in a blue funk out there. And — 
and I’d have been seasick in about another 
minute, I guess.” 

“You were both very foolish to go out in a 
boat you didn’t understand,” said Faith gravely. 
“Besides, I never think a motor boat is really 
safe, anyway, do you?” 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 35 


‘ T don’t know. I never was in one until this 
morning.” 

“Why — but I thought you said — you under- 
stood them!” 

‘ ‘Oh,” responded Bee carelessly, 1 T had to say 
that to get Hal to go out. He wanted to wait 
and find someone to show him how to run the 
thing. We’d have lost a lot of valuable time, 
you see.” 

“Oh! You mean that — you aren’t going to 
be here long and you didn’t want to waste a 
day?” 

“Oh, I shall be around here for a month, 
probably. My folks have gone abroad and Hal’s 
going to put me up for as long as I want. I had 
a chance of going across with the folks, but Hal 
talked so much about Greenhaven all winter 
that I thought I’d rather come here. And I’m 
glad I did, too. I’m going to have a dandy time. 
Hal’s people are as nice as pie to me. I suppose 
you know them, Miss Faith?” 

“N — no, I don’t. You see — ” She paused 
and Bee waited politely for her to continue. 
“What I mean,” she went on at last, “is that 
the Folsoms are very rich people and we’re — 
we’re not. So, of course, we don’t know them 
very well.” 


36 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Oh!” Bee considered that a moment. 
' ‘Well, I like them very much. Hal's a dandy, 
too. I didn't care much for him at first, though. 
They put us to room together at school and we 
had a scrap the first night. Then we didn't 
speak for two or three days. Then we had 
another scrap and Hal licked me and after that 
we were pretty good chums.” 

Faith looked puzzled, but she only said, ' 'Oh !” 
in a doubtful tone, and Bee went on: 

‘ T suppose you and your brother go to school 
here?” he inquired. ‘ 'Hal showed me the high 
school this morning when we came down to the 
wharf.” 

“I go,” replied Faith, “but Jack had to give 
it up this year. Poor Jack! He hated to do it.” 

“Er — you don't mean — he wasn't expelled, 
was he?” 

“Jack? Oh, no indeed. But father died a 
little over a year ago and so Jack thought he 
ought to go on with father's business and make 
money. Father used to be a fisherman and 
owned his own schooner. Then, when I was 
about five, he had an accident. He fell and 
broke one of his legs when he was 'way up off 
Newfoundland and it wasn't set right for two 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 37 


weeks because the schooner was in the ice and 
there wasn’t any doctor around. And then 
when they finally got him to a doctor it was too 
late and his leg was never much good after- 
wards. So he sold his schooner and bought the 
Chrystal Spring and made her into a water boat. 
You see there’s always been a spring up on the 
hill just back of our house and father only had 
to run a line of pipe to the Cove and then fill 
up the tank and sail around to the harbor and 
sell the water. He used to sell lots and lots of 
water a few years ago, but now the fish com- 
panies generally supply the water for their boats 
themselves. And lately two Portuguese men 
have started a water boat, too, and as their 
boat has a gasoline engine poor Jack isn’t doing 
very well. He said the other day he guessed 
he’d either have to have an engine put in the 
Crystal Spring or go out of business.” And 
Faith, a little breathless and more than a little 
surprised at her unusual loquacity, came to an 
embarrassed pause. 

“That’s too bad,” said Bee sympathetically. 
“I wouldn’t think there’d be enough business 
for two water boats here. If I were he I’d 
certainly put in an engine and see that it was big 
enough to beat the other fellows!” 


38 


PARTNERS THREE 


“He wants to, but — I guess it costs a good 
deal,” replied Faith. 

“What costs a good deal, sis?” asked Jack as 
he and Hal returned to the sitting-room. 

“An engine for the Crystal Spring ” explained 
his sister. 

“Oh! Yes, it would cost a lot more than I 
could afford, I guess,” he said gloomily. ‘ ‘But 
Ell either have to have one put in or give up. 
Those Lamprons can beat me every time. 
Isn’t supper ready yet? I’m starved to death!” 

When, a few minutes later, Aunt Mercy sum- 
moned them to the little dining room, that 
supper proved worth waiting for. The visitors 
declared that they had never been so hungry and 
had never tasted things half so good, and Aunt 
Mercy was so pleased that she was positively 
wasteful with the barberry preserve! 

‘ ‘May I leave the launch here until I can get 
someone to come over and fix her up?” asked 
Hal. 

“Yes,” Jack answered, “I’ll look after her. 
She’ll be all right. If I can find time in the 
morning I’ll get the water out of her. For that 
matter, maybe I can fix her up for you myself. 
I know a little about gas engines. I’ll have a 
look at her if you want me to.” 


A PAIR OF AMATEUR SALTS 39 


“I wish you would,” replied Hal gratefully. 

‘ Til come over and help you,” said Bee. 

“You’ll stay away from her!” exclaimed his 
chum with energy. “If it hadn’t been for you 
she’d have been all right.” 

“Hear him!” Bee scoffed, appealing to Aunt 
Mercy. ‘ Why, that silly chug-chug didn’t 
know the first thing about going until I worked 
and toiled over her! Of all ungrateful brutes, 
Hal, you’re the — the limit!” 

“I’d have learned how to run her myself,” 
said Hal amidst the laughter of the rest, “if 
you hadn’t been so keen on starting out. I 
wanted to have someone show me about the 
thing, Jack, but this idiot couldn’t wait. Say, 
what do you think he wants to do?” 

Jack shook his head. “Drown himself, I 
guess.” 

‘ ‘He wants to go out to Hog Island and hunt 
for buried treasure!” 

Jack laughed, and even Aunt Mercy smiled at 
the idea, but Faith came to Bee’s defence. ‘ ‘I 
think that would be lovely,” she approved. 4 T 
read a book once — ” 

4 ‘There isn’t anything on Hog Island, I guess,” 
said Jack, “but rocks and seagulls. You’d 
better try somewhere else, Mansfield.” 


40 


PARTNERS THREE 


Bee shrugged his shoulders, undisturbed. 
1 Tm not particular about where it is, Herrick. 
But I certainly don’t intend to spend a month 
on the coast and not have one good hunt for 
buried treasure. I’ve always wanted to hunt 
for buried treasure and now’s the time. I dare 
say there’s plenty of it around here. There 
always is. Captain Kidd probably left a few 
chests of gold and diamonds somewhere about. 
He was awfully careless, Kidd was, with his 
treasure. Why, everyone knows that he buried 
chests of gold all up and down the Atlantic coast!” 

‘Til bet he didn’t bury any on Hog Island,” 
Jack laughed. “You can’t dig six inches any- 
where there without striking solid ledge. I’ve 
been out there three or four times.” 

“Then we won’t go to Hog Island, Hal,” 
said Bee calmly. “I merely suggested that 
particular place because it was the first island 
I saw. We’ll find another one. How about the 
thing you call The Lump?” 

“Just a ledge sticking out of the water,” said 
Jack. “If you really want to hunt for buried 
treasure, though, Mansfield, you might have a 
go at Nobody’s Island.” He smiled across at 
Hal. “ ’Most everyone has around here!” 


CHAPTER IV 
Buried Treasure 

“That’s the ticket!” Bee snapped his fingers 
gleefully. “That’s the very place I’m looking 
for. Nobody’s Island, eh? There must be 
buried treasure on an island with a name like 
that. Where is it?” 

“About three miles up the shore,” replied 
Jack, smiling. “It isn’t much of an island any 
more, though. Some years ago the sea ran in 
back of it and then, I suppose, it was a real 
island. Nowadays it isn’t an island at all, 
except once or twice a year when there’s an 
uncommonly high tide. Come on into the sit- 
ting-room and I’ll show it to you on the chart.” 

1 ‘Father always said there was money buried 
somewhere there,” said Faith as she followed the 
boys into the front room. 

“I don’t doubt but that there is,” responded 
Jack as he spread a chart across the center table, 
“but I don’t believe anyone’s going to find it. 
I’ll bet a hundred people have dug on Nobody’s 


42 


PARTNERS THREE 


Island since I can remember. Years ago, when 
a man didn’t have anything particular to do, 
Mansfield, he took a shovel and went over to 
Nobody’s Island and dug for gold. Here it is; 
see? The chart doesn’t call it an island, 
though; it just says, ‘Salvage Head,’ and 
lets it go at that. These two little rocks out 
here, just off the beach, are The Tombstones. 
Boats used to pile up there every little while 
trying to get around the Head. But in those 
days Clam River — this is it here — had two 
mouths, one on each side of the island. You 
could go in here to the north of Salvage Head 
and sail clean around and come out here on the 
east. Then a storm or something filled up the 
northern inlet and now it’s just sand there and 
you can walk right across. Father always said 
that some day that inlet would open up again, 
but it hasn’t yet.” 

“Do you mean that there used to be real 
wreckers there?” asked Bee eagerly. 

“Real as anything! There was a sort of 
family of them named — what was the name, 
Auntie?” 

‘ ‘Well, folks used to call them Verny,” replied 
Aunt Mercy, who had settled herself with her 


BURIED TREASURE 43 

crochet, ‘ ‘but I believe the real name was 
Vergniaud.” 

“That was the name, Verny,” said Jack. 
“There were three of them, old man Verny and 
two sons. They used to carry a lantern along 
the shore of the island and the sailors would 
think it was a boat’s light and go plump into 
The Tombstones or on the beach. Then the 
Vernys would flock down and get the pickings. 
Sometimes they’d go over here on Toller’s 
Beach — Toller’s Sands it was called then — and 
decoy ships onto Toller’s Rock or The Clinker. 
That’s The Clinker, that little rock just off the 
point. So, you see, they got them coming and 
going.” 

“Gee, that sounds like the real thing!” 
exclaimed Hal. ‘ ‘What did they do with the 
stuff they got from the ships?” 

“I don’t know; sold it, maybe; kept it, more 
likely. I guess they didn’t get very big hauls for 
the ships were mostly coasting schooners or 
fishermen. They didn’t have to do any work, 
anyhow, although father said they planted corn 
and potatoes over here at the back of the island.” 

“What became of them?” asked Bee. 

1 ‘Well, about forty years ago things got so bad 


44 


PARTNERS THREE 


that the sheriff took a posse over there and 
cleaned them out; arrested old Verny and one 
son; shot him when he tried to get away so that 
he died afterwards; and burned their cabin 
down. That was the last of them around here.” : 

‘ 'And what about the buried treasure?” asked 
Bee eagerly. 

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there’s 
always been a belief that Big Verny, as he was 
called, when he saw the posse coming buried 
a chest of money and other valuables. I don’t 
know how much truth there is in it. Father 
used to say it was so, though.” 

"Besides,” said Hal, "folks have picked up 
money in the sand over there, Jack.” 

"I guess that only happened once, Hal. 

If you really want to hunt for treasure, Mans- 
field, I guess Nobody’s Island is the most 
promising place we can offer you.” 

"You bet I’m going to hunt! How soon will 
that chug-chug of yours be ready again, Hal?” 

"Oh, maybe in a couple of days. Can you 
wait that long? I don’t believe anyone will get 
ahead of you and find the treasure.” 

"You can’t tell,” replied Bee with a grin. 
"Someone might. We’d better not lose much 


BURIED TREASURE 


45 


time. Perhaps we’d better hire a boat, eh? 
How much will you rent yours for, Herrick?” 

‘Til rent her cheap,” replied Jack grimly,” 
and then make more than I’m making now. 
Only thing, though, it would take all day to get 
there in the Crystal Spring; she’s about as fast as 
a crab.” 

Bee was studying the chart again. “Say, 
can I buy one of these things around here?” he 
asked suddenly. 

“Plenty of them” laughed Hal. 

“You may borrow that if you like,” said 
Jack. “I don’t use it. Only take care of it, 
please, because it was my father’s.” 

“Sure you don’t mind? I’ll take care of it. 
Thanks. I want to study this thing right. 
There’s nothing like knowing the lay of the land 
when you go after buried treasure. You see,” 
he went on as he folded the chart up and tucked 
it safely in his pocket, ‘ ‘I’m a bit of an authority 
on hunting for buried treasure. I’ve read all 
the best books on the subject, from Stevenson 
down to the five-cent variety, and there isn’t 
much I don’t know. What about getting home, 
Hal?” 

‘ ‘I guess we’d better start along. It must be 


46 


PARTNERS THREE 


— gee! it’s after eight! I didn’t think it was so 
late. Let’s get back into our rags, Bee, and 
hike.” 

“Jack, if it’s after eight,” said Faith, “they 
can’t go on the ferry. You know it stops at 
seven-thirty.” 

“That’s so; and I’m sorry, fellows. I tell 
you what, though. You get your clothes 
changed and I’ll row you across. All we’ll have 
to do is walk over to Johnson’s and I’ll borrow 
one of his dories.” 

' 'But isn’t it raining?” objected Hal. 

“Not a bit. Hasn’t been for an hour or more. 
In fact — ” Jack pushed a shade aside and peered 
out — ■ 'the stars are out bright.” 

“But isn’t it a longish way across to town?” 
asked Bee. 

“About a mile, but that isn’t far. Want to 
come along, Faith?” 

“May I, Auntie?” 

“Why, yes, I suppose it won’t do you any 
harm. But you see that the seats are dry, 
Jack.” 

And so ten minutes later the quartette set out 
very merrily across the Neck, which was quite 
narrow between Herrick’s Cove and the harbor. 


BURIED TREASURE 


47 


They climbed the hill back of the cottage, past 
the spring from which Jack piped his water to 
the sloop, across the winding road, through 
somebody’s back yard and so came to the harbor 
side, where in front of them numberless lights 
pricked out the dark water and the town beyond. 
Westward the read gleam of the breakwater 
beacon shone dully. Jack led the way down the 
lane toward the float. As they passed the house 
a door opened and a man’s voice asked : ‘ ‘What’s 
up?” 

‘ Tt’s I, Mr. Johnson — Jack Herrick. I want 
to borrow one of your dories,” explained Jack. 

“Help yourself,” was the hearty response. 
* ‘And get a good pair o’ oars. There’s some of 
’em sort o’ mean, Jack.” 

Soon they were seated in a dory, Hal in the 
bow, Jack at the oars and Faith and Bee 
together facing him. A few strokes sent them 
into deep water and Jack settled down to the 
long pull ahead. 

“If you see anything, Faith, just sing out,” 
he instructed. ‘ Til make for the town landing, 
Hal. It’s easier to find than some of the other 
wharves. Will that be all right?” 

“Dandy,” replied Hal from the bow. “If 


48 


PARTNERS THREE 


you don’t hear from me again, wake me up 
when we get there, Jack.” 

‘ 'This,” remarked Bee, stretching himself 
comfortably and colliding with Jack’s feet, "is 
what I call fine. A sailor’s life for me every 
time! ‘Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!’ O, you 
Hal!” 

"What?” asked Hal sleepily from the other 
end of the boat. 

"Wake up, you lazy beggar, and hear the 
birdies sing! This is no time for slumber. 
Look at all the pretty little stars, and the pretty 
little lights! Smell the — the — what-do-you-call 
it — the ozone!” 

"That’s the fish wharves you smell,” laughed 
Jack. 

"Can’t help it; I like it; and I prefer to call 
it ozone. Get the ozone effect, Hal?” 

"Shut up, you,” mumbled Hal. 

"Sleep then,” said Bee disgustedly. "But 
when we collide with a — a lighthouse or a sunken 
wreck or — or something you’ll wish you’d kept 
awake, old Hal. You won’t have a ghost of a 
show at being rescued. You’ll be trampled 
under foot in the mad rush; and serve you right 
for sleeping on — er — on occasion like this. I 


BURIED TREASURE 49 

think — mind you, I say I think — that we are 
e’en now about to collision with something.” 

“Yes, Jack, there’s a boat straight ahead. 
Pull on your right oar.” 

“Well,” said Bee admiringly, “you must be 
able to see in the dark, Miss Faith. I couldn’t 
have told whether that was a boat or a trolley 
car.” 

“Oh, it isn’t really dark tonight,” said Faith, 
“The stars give a lot of light. Jack and I 
rowed across one night when — well, it was pretty 
dark, wasn’t it, Jack?” 

“Black as your pocket. It was late in the 
Fall and there weren’t many lights showing. 
I thought the light on the pier on Gull Island 
was the light on Curtis’s coal wharf and ran 
plump into a bunch of spiles. We had quite a 
lot of fun getting across that time. The old 
dory leaked like a sieve and when she bumped 
she sprung a few new leaks and the first thing 
we knew our feet were in water up to our ankles. 
Sis had to bail all the way across.” 

“Fun!” ejaculated Bee. “Is that your idea 
of a real good time? I suppose, then, if we 
ran into a rock and the boat sunk you and Miss 
Faith would laugh yourselves to death!” 


50 


PARTNERS THREE 


“There’s the place we bumped,” said Jack, 
nodding toward the dark bulk of Gull Island. 
“We’re more than half-way over now.” 

“Aren’t you tired?” asked Bee curiously. 
“How far can you row?” 

“Oh, four or five miles,” replied Jack care- 
lessly. ‘ ‘More than that, I suppose, if I had to. 
But after three miles your arms begin to get 
pretty stiff.” 

“I guess mine would!” laughed Bee. “I’m 
going to try that short stroke of yours some day. 
Will you show it to me? I’ve never seen any- 
one row just like that before.” 

“Doryman’s stroke,” replied Jack. “It 
doesn’t tire you like a long stroke. Many 
schooners ahead, Faith?” 

“No, Jack, none, if you keep the way you’re 
headed. I can see the lantern on the landing 
now.” 

On one of the fishing boats a sailor was play- 
ing on a concertina and singing. Jack stopped 
rowing a minute and they listened. 

“That fellow can sing, can’t he?” said Bee. 

“It’s Desco Benton, sis,” said Jack. “I’d 
know his voice if I heard it in a fog at sea. 
“He plied his oars again and soon the dory was 


BURJED TREASURE 


51 


in the shadows of the wharves and shipping. 
Cautiously Jack sent the boat toward the land- 
ing, worming in and out of the launches and 
sail-boats moored in the basin. Then they 
awoke Hal — he declared he hadn’t been asleep, 
but Bee told him he had snored all the way 
across — and presently the dory sidled up to the 
float, under the glow of the big lantern, and they 
said good-night. 

It was arranged that Jack was to look over the 
launch in the morning and if possible fix it up 
so it could be brought back to town. If the 
task was beyond him he was to tow it over 
behind the Crystal Spring. “Anyhow,” he 
said, “I’ll be here at nine o’clock with her, 
Hal. You’d better be around then. Good- 
night!” 

‘ ‘Good-night, and thank you very much for 
everything, Jack.” 

“Not forgetting the supper,” added Bee. 
‘ ‘Nor the chart. Will you go with me, Herrick, 
and look for buried treasure?” 

‘ ‘I will if I can find the time,” laughed Jack. 
“Good-night!” 

Faith added her farewell to his and the dory 
backed out, leaving the two boys on the landing. 


52 


PARTNERS THREE 


"Port your helm!” bawled Bee. 
"Port it is, sir,” called Jack. 
"Steady as you are!” 

"Steady it is, sir!” 
"Good-night!” 

"Good-night!” 


CHAPTER V 

Bee Composes an “Ode to The Sea” 

Jack was promptly on time the next morning, 
the Crystal Spring crowding her nose into the 
basin just as the clock in the white tower of the 
City Hall struck nine. Behind the water boat 
came the launch. By the time Jack had made 
a landing Hal and Bee came down the gangway 
to the float. 

c T got the engine together all right,” explained 
Jack as the boys viewed the launch from the 
stern of the sloop, “but I couldn’t make her 
start. I’m pretty sure the trouble’s in the 
wiring. I didn’t have time to go over it thor- 
oughly, Hal. If I were you I’d start at the 
battery and follow it right up.” 

“But I couldn’t tell whether it was right or 
wrong,” Hal objected. “I guess I’d better get 
a man to come and fix her up, Jack.” 

‘ ‘Well — but he will charge you three or four 
dollars, Hal.” Jack frowned thoughtfully. 
Then, “I tell you what I’ll do. You leave her 


54 


PARTNERS THREE 


here until noon and I’ll come back and look her 
over, Hal. I’d do it now but there are two or 
three schooners coming in and they may want 
water. I’ll come back about twelve. Will you 
be here? ,, 

“I guess so.” He looked enquiringly at 
Bee. “There’s nothing especial to do, I sup- 
pose.” 

“Let’s loaf around the wharves,” said Bee, 
“and come back here at noon. There’s lots I 
want to see, Hal. I want to know how they 
dry the fish, and what the difference is between 
a haddock and a pollock, and why is a codfish 
and — oh, lots of things! I think it’s dandy of 
Herrick to take so much trouble with your old 
chug-chug and the least we can do is to be 
on hand and encourage him with our cheerful 
presence. Besides, it’s quite necessary, if we’re 
to find that buried treasure, to have this thing 
fixed up so she’ll take us over to the island.” 

“Well, I’ll try to get here by twelve,” said 
Jack, as he pushed the nose of the sloop away 
from the landing and swung himself aboard. 
* ‘And if you can be here you’d better. We may 
have to have some new wiring or connections or 
something. And, by the way, Hal, why don’t 


AN “ODE TO THE SEA” 


55 


you stop at Whiting’s and buy a folding anchor 
and some rope? You oughtn’t to go out again 
without it, you know.” 

‘ T will. And some other stuff, too. She’s 
got to have lanterns and a fog-horn, I suppose. 
And a compass, and — ” 

“A tomato can,” said Bee gravely. “I 
refust to trust my young and valuable life to her 
again without a tomato can.” 

“If I put all the things in her that the law 
requires,” said Hal gloomily, “I’d be broke. 
Besides, there wouldn’t be any room for me!” 

“Did you find those things I couldn’t get 
back, Herrick?” Bee asked. 

“Yes, they were kicking around in a foot or 
so of rain water. They weren’t important, any- 
how,” he continued with a smile. “Just two 
or three nuts from the cylinder heads and the 
commutator. We’ll, see you later, fellows.” 

The Crystal Spring swung her long boom out- 
board and crept away from the landing, leaving 
Hal and Bee looking after her. 

“I like that chap,” said Bee with conviction. 
1 ‘I think I’ll have to have him along when I look 
for that buried treasure.” 

“If you don’t keep still about your old buried 


56 


PARTNERS THREE 


treasure,” laughed Hal, “Ell dump you into the 
harbor.” 

“You will, eh? In the first place, my young 
friend, you wouldn’t dare to, and in the second 
place you couldn’t do it. Now lead me to the 
codfish.” 

When they returned to the Town Landing 
at twelve the Crystal Spring and her skipper 
were before them. Jack waved his hand in 
triumph as they came down the gangway. ‘ T 
found the trouble,” he announced. “It was 
just a loose connection here at this binding post, 
where the wire grounds on the engine. I’ve 
been all over the wiring and tightened every- 
thing up and she will run like a breeze now. 
Want to try her?” 

They piled in, Jack put the switch on, threw 
the fly-wheel over once and the engine started. 
Then he threw the clutch in and took the wheel. 
The launch moved briskly out of the basin, 
swung around the corner of the sea-wall and, 
Jack advancing the throttle, began to chug 
down the harbor at a good ten miles. Bee 
looked on in awe. 

‘ ‘You certainly understand these things, Her- 
rick,” he said admiringly. 


AN “ODE TO THE SEA” 


57 


“I used to have a little one-cylinder motor 
boat when I was about twelve,” replied Jack. 
‘ 'She wasn't anything like this, but the principal 
is the same with all of them. Hal, you’ll find 
that she’ll do best with your throttle about there; 
see? If you advance it any farther she’ll begin 
to miss a little. If you want more speed open 
the cut-out, although that really doesn’t make 
very much difference, I guess. She steers 
nicely, doesn’t she?” 

"Yes, and she’ll turn almost in her length,” 
said Hal. "Suppose that carbureter gets out 
of order, Jack, what do I do?” 

"Take my advice and don’t do anything,” 
replied Jack with a smile. “It’s dollars to 
doughnuts the trouble’s somewhere else and if 
you monkey with the carbureter you’ll never 
get it back again where it was. Sometimes on a 
cold morning you’ll have trouble getting the 
right mixture. Hold your hand over the air 
intake in that case; flood the carbureter first, 
though. You may have to turn her over a good 
many times, but she’ll start finally. I wouldn’t 
fuss with the carbureter ever, Hal.” 

“Of course not,” said Bee. “Why, even I 
had sense enough not to touch that yesterday!” 


58 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Then I'll bet you didn't see it,” said Hal. 

‘ ‘You took everything else to pieces!” 

1 T know I did. And look how she went after- 
wards! I guess you never saw a launch drift 
any faster than she did out there!” 

Jack brought the boat around in a long turn 
and headed back toward the basin. “Well, 
I guess you’ll find now that she’ll do something 
else beside drift. She can make a good twelve 
miles with the tide, Hal.” 

At the landing Jack turned the launch over 
to her owner and scrambled back to the Crystal 
Spring. “I haven’t had any lunch yet,” he 
said, “so I’ll have to get busy. You and your 
friend come over in the launch some time and 
see me, Hal. I’m usually around after four, 
and most all day on Sunday.” 

“We will,” Hal replied, “and I’m awfully 
much obliged for everything you’ve done, Jack. 
Hope I’ll be able to pay you back some day.” 

“Oh, that’s nothing; glad I could do it,” 
answered Jack as he hauled in the sheet. ‘ ‘Hope 
she’ll go all right, Hal. So long.” 

The others waved to him from the float as 
the Crystal Spring poked her blunt nose harbor- 
ward and then turned to climb the hill to Hal’s 


AN “ODE TO THE SEA” 


59 


home and luncheon. In the afternoon they 
installed the anchor in the locker forward under 
the gasoline tank, fixed the new lanterns where 
they belonged, stowed a patent fog-horn and a 
box compass under one of the seats and then 
went out for a spin. Bee wanted to learn how 
to steer and Hal gave him the wheel, but not 
until they were out of the press of boats in the 
harbor. Bee had one or two narrow escapes 
from running into the sea-wall, but by the time 
they were over the bar he had learned the knack 
of it. Meanwhile Hal sought to acquaint him- 
self with the mechanism of his engine, slowing it 
down, stopping it and starting again until Bee 
protested that the engine would get peeved and 
refuse to go at all. But fortunately nothing 
like that happened and they went down the 
shore beyond The Lump, turned seaward there 
and headed toward Popple Head and the light- 
house. It was a fine day, with plenty of bright 
sunlight and a brisk southwesterly breeze that 
kicked up enough of a swell to send the spray 
flying aboard now and then. Bee was in his 
element and insisted on singing all the nautical 
songs he knew, which, however, were not many. 
After that he amused himself by turning the 


60 


PARTNERS THREE 


bow of the boat so that she got the waves on the 
quarter and wasn’t detected by Hal until that 
young gentleman had been thrice drenched to 
the skin by the clouds of spray that swept over 
him. Bee, crouching low, escaped the worst 
of them. Hal made him head the boat around 
again and Bee had to find a new amusement. 
He finally solved the problem by composing 
what he called ‘ ‘An Ode to the Sea” and singing 
it to an improvised tune that, to Hal at least, 
lacked harmony. 

“0 Sea! 0 Sea! 0 beautiful Sea! 

O Sea! O Sea! 0 Sea! O Sea! 

You’re full of salt and wet, I know, 

And you kick up a fuss when the wind do 
blow! 

Some say you’re blue; I think you’re green, 

But you’re the nicest Sea I’ve ever seen. 

You’re full of waves and fishes, too, 

And if I had a line I know what I’d do. 

O Sea! O Sea! O beautiful Sea! 

You make an awful hit with me. 

O Sea! O Sea! 0 ” 

Just then Hal threatened him with an oil- 
can and his muse deserted him. Off the light 


AN “ODE TO THE SEA’ 


61 


they turned back toward the harbor, running 
alongside the gray granite breakwater, and Bee 
found much to interest him. The tide was low 
and along the wall the seaweed hung in swaying 
fringes. Now and then he saw a star-fish or a 
crab, and once the launch almost bumped into 
the breakwater when he caught sight of a rock- 
cod and nearly fell overboard in his excitement. 

“Hal, do you realize,” he asked a minute 
later, ‘ ‘that this noble craft has no name?” 

“Yes, what shall we call her?” 

That led to a long discussion that lasted until 
they were around the beacon and chugging past 
Gull Island, Hal thoughtfully reducing the boat's 
speed to something like four miles an hour for 
fear that Bee might see another rock-cod! All 
sorts of names were suggested, but none seemed 
just right, and finally Bee said} “It's no use. 
All the perfectly good names I suggest you don't 
like. And you can't think of any good ones 
yourself. We'll leave it to Jack Herrick!” 

“The dickens we will! I intend to name my 
own boat!” 

“You're not a good namer,” replied Bee 
firmly. 1 ‘Jack Herrick can mend an engine and 
run it. Any fellow who can do that can find a 


62 


PARTNERS THREE 


right name, Hal. We will go after the Crystal 
Spring and demand a name for your launch.” 

But the Crystal Spring wasn’t to be found, 
although the launch went up the harbor and 
back again. Then, as it was getting toward 
five o’clock they decided to give up the search 
and seek the landing. 

‘ Tomorrow,” said Bee, “is Sunday. We will 
go over in the morning and call on Jack Herrick. 
Meanwhile the launch must wait for a name.” 

“I like Sea Spray” said Hal. 

“I’m glad you do,” laughed Bee. “You got 
quite a lot of it!” 

“Or, maybe, Mermaid,” added Hal.” 

“ Mermaid! That’s a punk name! You might 
as well call it — call it — ” Bee searched wildly 
for a simile — ‘ ‘call Annabel Lee l” 

“Who’s Annabel Lee?” asked Hal. 

“I don’t know. It’s just a — a name, I guess; 
I mean, I cal’ate; nothing like speaking the 
language of the people you’re with.” 

“We don’t say ‘cal’ate’,” protested Hal. 
“We talk just as good English as you Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch do!” 

‘ ‘Well, don’t get waxy about it. I like 
‘cal’ate’; it — it’s expressive. Say, what do I 


AN “ODE TO THE SEA 5 


63 


do when I get to the landing? Run the bow up 
on the float, or what?” 

‘ ‘No, you don’t, you idiot! Here, let me have 
the wheel. You climb out there and take the 
boat-hook — Gee, we haven’t got any boathook, 
have we? Well, take an oar.” 

‘ ‘The oars are in the locker and you’re sitting 
on it,” said Bee. “I’ll use my feet.” 

So he climbed to the bow and sat there until 
the launch approached the float and then fended 
her off with his feet, finally jumping ashore with 
tne painter and making it fast quite knowingly. 
Then, after seeing the launch safe for the night, 
the two boys went home to dinner, very proud 
of their seamanship and very hungiy by reason 
of it. 


CHAPTER VI 
Bee Plans An Expedition 

Jack was sitting on the side steps with a shoe 
in one hand and a blacking-brush in the other. 
It was nine o’clock Sunday morning and the 
• late breakfast had been over for some time. 
From the open window of the kitchen, just over 
his right shoulder, the voices of Aunt Mercy 
and Susan, the maid, issued cheerfully. Some- 
where upstairs Faith was moving about at her 
morning duties, singing like a thrush. It was 
a wonderful day. It gave promise of being 
seasonably warm later on, but just now the sun- 
light was but comfortably ardent and a little 
westerly breeze stole across the Neck and the 
harbor beyond, salty and cool. The house 
stood some thirty yards from the water, half- 
way up a little hill green with wild grass and the 
anemone and sheep-laurel. Herrick’s Cove was 
a tiny indentation in The Front, as the natives 
called the ocean side of the Neck, sufficiently 
protected by jutting ledges at the mouth to make 


66 


PARTNERS THREE 


a safe anchorage, with the hill at the back shield- 
ing it from the northerly and westerly storms. 
Between high water and the commencement of 
the slope a small, steep crescent of beach lay. 
Into the cove at one side ran a line of spiles 
supporting both a narrow plank, upon which an 
agile person could walk to the end, and a four- 
inch iron pipe. Against the farther spiles the 
Crystal Spring was moored. The pipe led up hill 
to the spring and when Jack wanted to fill the 
tank in the water boat he had only to lift the 
hatch, drop in the end of a length of cotton hose 
connecting with the pipe and turn a cock. The 
cove this morning was as blue as the sky above 
and as untroubled. The sloop, the tall spiles, 
and the jutting rocks were reflected as though in 
a mirror. 

The house was a low two-story structure, 
painted white, with blinds which, originally 
green, had been wrought upon by the salt winds 
until they were now of a hue more blue than 
green. Along the south side of the house a 
flower bed was already in bloom with old- 
fashioned spring posies. (Aunt Mercy’s flowers 
always bloomed a week earlier than any on the 
Neck.) There was no fence about the house. 


BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 67 


The front door faced the road that ambled west- 
ward to the lighthouse and northward followed 
the harbor side, ever curving, until it reached 
the town. Across the road were other houses 
perched here and there between it and the 
harbor shore. The settlement was known as 
Herrick’s Cove, just as the cluster of houses at 
the other end of Neck was known as The Fort 
and the residences on the harbor edge half way 
to the canal, which divided Neck from town, 
was called The Center. Aside from these settle- 
ments Greenhaven Neck was a bare expanse of 
moorland with here and there a granite ledge 
lifting its head from the tangle of stunted trees 
and pepper-bush, sweet-fern, wax-berry and 
laurel and here and there a bog filled with sphag- 
num moss and cranberry. One or two summer 
cottages had gone up on The Front, but in the 
main, Nature still held full sway. 

From where Jack sat on the side steps indus- 
triously shining his Sunday shoes he could look 
straight ahead along the dusty road to where 
the squatty stone lighthouse, dazzlingly white in 
the sunlight, stood firmly on its granite ledge. 
Beyond it, against the blue summer sky, a flock 
of gulls were circling and dipping, their plaintive, 


68 


PARTNERS THREE 


discordant cries coming to him on the breeze. 
Suddenly, above the hungry notes of the sea- 
gulls and the lisp of the west wind and the sounds 
from the house, came the steady chug , chug , 
chug of a motor boat. Idly, Jack wondered 
whose it was and arose to his feet to look. But 
the boat was hidden by the shore and he sub- 
sided again and gave a final brush to the shoe he 
held. Then he set it down beside its fellow, 
already polished, and began to whistle one of his 
tuneless airs, tapping time against the edge of 
the step below with the blacking brush. At that 
moment the chug of the motor boat grew sud- 
denly louder and Jack looked down to the cove 
just as a white launch came around the comer. 
The boy in the bow at the wheel waved a greet- 
ing. Jack waved back and descended the slope. 
The engine stopped its chatter and the launch 
sidled up to a spile near the beach. Hal shouted 
a direction and Bee, leaving the wheel, clambered 
to the deck in front and picked up the painter. 
Then leaning toward the spile he sought to pass 
the end of the rope about it. The natural 
result was that he pushed the bow of the launch 
away and in a moment he was clutching the 
slippery post with his arms and striving to pull 
back the launch with his feet. 


BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 69 


“Whoa!” he shouted. “Come back here! 
Hey, Hal, push her back!” 

But Hal, having no boat-hook nor oar at hand, 
was helpless, and a moment later the launch had 
abandoned Bee to his fate and he was clinging to 
the spile with arms and legs. Jack, on the 
beach, shouted with laughter. Hal, pulling at 
an obdurate locker lid to get an oar, sputtered 
directions and advice. 

“Hold tight, Bee! Just a minute! I’ll get 
an oar! Hang this thing! I can’t get it open! 
Reach up and grab the plank, Bee!” 

But when Bee tried to adopt the latter sug- 
gestion he began to slip down the spile and so, 
with a yell of dismay, returned to his close 
embrace. By that time Jack had recovered 
from his amusement and went to the rescue. 
Climbing onto the plank, he hurried out and 
reached down a hand to Bee. 

* ‘Here, take hold and I’ll pull you up,” he said 
with a chuckle. 

“If I do I’ll drop,” panted Bee. “Take 
hold yourself!” 

So Jack got a grip around one of his wrists 
and finally Bee managed to wriggle up to the 
plank. Then he sat down, with his feet hang- 


70 


PARTNERS THREE 


ing over the water, and laughed until the tears 
came. And Hal, bobbing helplessly about in 
the middle of the cove, and Jack, clinging to the 
pipe, laughed with him. 

‘ ‘Did — did you see that launch trip me up?” 
gasped Bee finally. “And — and look at my 
Sunday-go-to-meeting suit! It’s all over green 
slime and crushed oysters! It’s completely 
spiled /” 

“Oh, what a pun!” cried Hal. “Push him 
overboard, Jack!” 

But Jack, viewing Bee’s clothes, had mercy. 
‘ ‘You are in a mess, aren’t you?” he asked solic- 
itously. “The crushed oysters, as you call 
them, will brush off, but that green stain will 
stick like anything. I’m awfully sorry, Mans- 
field.” 

Bee viewed the front of his attire philosophi- 
cally. “Well, anyway,” he said, “I won’t have 
to go to church today, will I? There’s nothing 
like looking on the bright side of misfortune. 
Throw us the line, Hal, and we’ll pull you in.” 

1 ‘You run away and play,” replied Hal, work- 
ing vigorously with an oar and making little 
headway. “The line won’t reach half-way 
there.” 


BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 71 


‘‘Well, keep on rowing, old chap. Only be 
sure and have the launch here by the time I want 
to go back. Come on, Herrick, let’s go ashore.” 

‘ Tf you’d kept hold of the line when you had 
it,” muttered Hal. 

“Get up in the bow,” Jack advised. “Then 
you can put your oar over either side.” 

Following that direction, Hal made better 
progress and at last the launch was tied up to 
the spiling and Hal had clambered up beside 
the others. Then they filed ashore and walked 
up to the house. Bee said he “cal’ated” he 
wouldn’t go inside as he wasn’t very presentable 
and so they sat down on the steps. 

‘ ‘How does she run?” asked Jack. 

1 ‘Like a breeze,” replied Hal enthusiastically. 
“She’ll be all right now, I guess, if I can keep 
Bee from meddling with the engine.” 

“Humph!” said Bee. “The next time you 
break down out of sight of land you can do your 
own repairing.” 

“I intend to; don’t you worry! Gee, but it’s 
swell over here, isn’t it, Bee?” 

“Fine and dandy,” replied Bee. “Wish I 
lived here. Are those chicken-coops yours, 
Herrick?” 


72 


PARTNERS THREE 


' 'Yes, but they’re lobster-pots,” laughed Jack. 

"Oh!” said Bee blankly. Then, recovering 
quickly; "I meant chicken-lobster coops,” he 
explained. "Do you catch many?” 

1 'No, not many nowadays. There used to be 
plenty of them, but they’re dying out. I’ve 
got a couple of pots out there now; see where 
those little red floats are, just beyond the cove? 
I haven’t looked at them this morning, but I 
guess there’s nothing in them.” 

"Think of catching your own lobsters!” 
exclaimed Bee wonderingly. ' 'Bet you I know 
one thing about lobsters you don’t think I do.” 

' 'All right,” said Hal. ' 'Go ahead, pro- 
fessor.” 

"They aren’t red when you catch ’em. I 
forget who told me that. It’s cooking that 
makes them red. Clever, what?” 

"Awfully,” laughed Jack. "And do you 
know what to use to open an oyster?” 

"An ax, I suppose.” 

' 'No, an oyster cracker.” 

Bee looked dejectedly at Hal. "Isn’t he a 
cute little rascal?” he asked mournfully. 
" 'How do you open a clam? Answer: Use an 
oyster cracker.’ Isn’t that funny?” 


BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 73 


“You’re a clam,” said Hal. “And, say, 
instead of wasting the golden moments asking 
conundrums, Bee, we’d better get down to 
business.” 

‘ ‘Right-o ! Jack we have come to consult you 
on two subjects. In the first place, what are 
you going to do this afternoon?” 

‘ ‘Oh, forget about this afternoon,” exclaimed 
Hal, ‘ ‘and let’s get the name fixed up.” 

“Everything in turn, old Hal,” replied Bee 
soothingly. ‘ ‘Let us dispose of the more impor- 
tant affairs first.” He looked enquiringly at 
Jack. 

‘ ‘This afternoon?” asked Jack. ‘ ‘I don’t 
know. What’s up?” 

“Well, can you come with us and show us 
Nobody’s Island? Hal says he knows where it 
is and can go right to it, but I don’t trust him. 
Will you come along?” 

“Yes, if you want me to. How are you 
going?” 

Bee nodded toward the cove. ‘ ‘In that,” he 
said sadly. ‘ ‘Are you brave enough?” 

‘ ‘I’ll risk it if you fellows will,” Jack laughed. 
1 ‘We can keep close to shore, you know. What 
time?” 


74 


PARTNERS THREE 


‘ ‘What time do we have dinner, Hal?” 

“Two, on Sundays.” 

‘ ‘My, that’s a long way off! Well, we will say 
at three, Mr. Herrick. How is that?” 

“Any time’s all right for me. I’ll look for 
you about three or a little later. Are you still 
thinking of digging for old Verny’s treasure?” 

“I certainly am! And if it’s there I’m going 
to find it! I’ve purchased a book entitled 
‘Historical Greenhaven ’ and have read all it has 
to say on the subject of Nobody’s Island and 
your old friend Verny. The book says that 
several times silver dollars and pieces of jewelry 
have been picked up on the beach there. That 
looks promising, doesn’t it?” 

‘ ‘Yes, but I never really heard of but one silver 
dollar being found, and that was so worn that 
you couldn’t be certain it had ever been a 
dollar.” 

“But the book says!” 

“Oh, don’t be a mule, Bee! Don’t you sup- 
pose Jack knows what he’s talking about? Books 
tell all sorts of lies.” 

“All right. But if there’s been one dollar 
picked up it shows that there are more there.” 

‘ ‘Just how do you figure that out?” asked 
Hal. 





(Partners Three) 


(Chapter C) 





BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 75 


‘ ‘Logic, my son, logic. That’s something you 
aren’t acquainted with. But never mind that 
now. I wrote a letter to my father last night, 
Herrick — Say, I’m going to call you Jack, if you 
don’t mind? — And I told him that I was organ- 
izing an expedition to search for buried treasure 
and that he was to send me fifty dollars imme- 
diately to outfit the expedition.” 

Jack smiled. 1 'Think you’ll get the fifty?” 
he asked. 

“No, not more than twenty-five. But I’ve 
got twenty dollars now and so I’ll have enough. 
This thing is going to be done right, fellows; it’s 
going to be done scientifically. This afternoon 
we will look over the ground, do you see? Then 
I’ll know just what is necessary. In two or 
three days I’ll be ready to begin operations.” 

“You’re a silly chump,” laughed Hal. “He 
won’t talk of anything but Nobody's Island and 
hidden treasure, Jack! And he wants to go and 
camp out there and dig the whole place up!” 

“Why not?” asked Bee. “Wouldn’t it be 
fun camping out, even if we didn’t find any- 
thing? Think of the good time we could have!” 

“What would we eat?” asked Hal dubiously. 

“Fish, which I would catch when I wasn’t 


76 


PARTNERS THREE 


digging, and all sorts of things in cans. We 
could take fresh meat with us, too, I guess. I 
wish you wouldn’t think so much about your old 
stomach, Hal.” 

' ‘Well, it’s the only one I have and it’s got to 
last me,” replied Hal untroubledly. ‘ 'How 
about you, Jack? Want to join the party?” 

“I’d like to awfully, but I don’t suppose I 
could. I have to stay with the ship down there. 
I haven’t camped out since I was a little bit of 
a chap. Maybe I could manage for a couple of 
days, say Saturday and Sunday.” 

‘ 'How much,” asked Bee, ‘ 'will you rent the 
Crystal Spring and your own personal services 
for by the week, Jack?” 

Jack smiled. "I guess we aren’t for rent,” 
he said. 

"Why not? I’m in earnest. I want you to 
go along and I’d feel a heap more safe if we had 
the sloop to depend on. Not that I don’t love 
that dear little launch down there, but just look 
what it did to me today! Now come on, like 
a good chap! What’s your figure?” 

"Why — why, if you really mean it,” said 
Jack, ‘ 'I guess you can have the Crystal Spring 
and her skipper for — well, about fifteen a week. 


BEE PLANS AN EXPEDITION 77 

That’s pretty near as much as I’ve been making 
lately.” 

' 'Pretty near as much won’t do,” replied Bee 
emphatically. ‘ T shall pay you twenty.” 

‘ 'No, fifteen’s enough.” 

“Twenty!” 

“Compromise on seventeen-fifty,” advised 
Hal. 

“All right! It’s a bargain, Jack. You’ll get 
your sailing orders in a day or two’ say about 
Wednesday. We’ll go up or down or over 
or whatever it is in the sloop and haul the launch 
with us. We can use the launch for pleasure 
and the sloop for business.” 

1 'I don’t see any need of having a whole bloom- 
ing navy on hand,” objected Hal. “If we have 
the sloop we won’t need the launch, and if we 
have the launch — ” 

“Don’t mumble, Hal; talk right out if you 
have anything to say,” advised Bee. “Now, 
what time might it be? Great Scott, Hal, 
we’ll have to scoot!” 

“Well, but—” 

“Now never mind your ‘buts’; come along!” 
and Bee seized him by the arm and proceeded to 
drag him down to the cove. 1 'You might as well 


78 


PARTNERS THREE 


learn discipline right now, old Hal. We’ll 
be back about three, Jack.” 

‘ 'But we didn’t do anything about that name 
for the launch,” Hal objected. “I thought we 
were going to ask Jack — ” 

"We were, but more important affairs pre- 
vented. We’ll attend to that this afternoon. 
So long, Jack! Turn her over, Hal! That’s the 
ticket! Once more! There she blows! Reverse 
her, Hal; we’ll have to back out or sink the water 
boat. All right; slow ahead! Great work! We 
didn’t bump a thing! Three o’clock, Jack! 
Bye, bye!” 


CHAPTER VII 
On Nobody’s Island 


It was nearer half-past three than three, how- 
ever, when the launch, heralded by a dismal 
solo on the patent fog-horn by Bee, came into 
Herrick’s Cove. Jack was all ready, sitting 
perched on the bow of the sloop. He had taken 
off his Sunday clothes and felt more comfort- 
able; especially since he had changed those 
highly-polished shoes for a pair of brown can- 
vas “sneakers.” He tumbled into the launch 
as Hal ran her alongside and a moment or two 
later they were chugging down the coast, the 
rocky shore of The Front only a good stone- 
throw away. (Bee declared he felt safer near 
land). Soon Fort Point was reached and Hal 
and Jack showed Bee the old fortifications thrown 
up by the citizens of Greenhaven in the War of 
1812. A cluster of neat little white houses 
surrounded the embankments and a few seats 
dotted the green slopes. Then the Neck was 
left behind and the launch headed across Eight- 


80 


PARTNERS THREE 


Fathom Cove, with Cove Village hugging the 
yellow beach a half-mile away. Beyond the 
village Toller’s Sands began, a two-mile stretch 
of slightly-curving beach backed by white sand- 
dunes bare of vegetation save for a few patches 
of sedge and here and there a stunted, gro- 
tesque tree. 

“There used to be a farm there,” remarked 
Jack, who was steering. ' 'But the sand finally 
buried it up. They say that if you dig into that 
long dune you’ll find the old house. A few 
years ago some of the fence posts were still 
sticking up out of the sand, but they’ve gone, too, 
now.” 

“Do you mean,” asked Bee with wide eyes, 
“that the sand covered up the farm and the 
house and everything?” 

' 'Yes, but I guess the farm wasn’t a very big 
one.” 

' 'But — but how long did it take? Why didn’t 
they stop it?” 

“You can’t stop that sand when it starts 
going. I don’t know how long it took; probably 
two or three years, though. One day when I 
was over there with my father he took a piece 
of wood we found on the beach and laid it on the 


ON NOBODY’S ISLAND 


81 


sand back there and watched. In twenty 
minutes it was covered up and when we came 
back a couple of hours later there was a regular 
mound there. That’s the way those dunes 
start. A bunch of grass or something gets in 
the way and the sand blows into and makes a 
little lump as big as your two hands, perhaps. 
Then the sand blows and blows — it’s always 
moving, even on still days — and more of it 
lodges there, and more and more, and finally 
there’s a hill as big as those you see. They’re 
always changing, too. The sand blows from one 
to another, and sometimes in the Fall or the 
Winter a big tide sweeps over the beach and 
eats into them. You get a dandy view from 
that biggest one. Ever been up there, Hal?” 

“No, I guess not. I haven’t been over to the 
Dunes for years. It would be fun to go some 
time, wouldn’t it?” 

“I’d love to,” agreed Bee. “And we might 
take shovels and dig out that house!” 

“Yes, that would be a nice way to spend a 
month or two,” replied Hal sarcastically. ‘ ‘Any 
time you want to amuse yourself that way, Bee, 
I’ll furnish the shovel.” 

“Is that Nobody’s Island there ahead?” 
asked Bee. 


82 


PARTNERS THREE 


"No, that's Toller's Rock," Jack explained. 
"The island is beyond it, around the corner. 
That black reef dead ahead is The Clinker. 
We'll keep outside it today, although when the 
tide is full you can get in between it and the 
shore." 

The dunes gave place to low grassy hills and 
Toller's Rock sprang from the latter, a great 
mass of weather-beaten granite, and jutted 
boldly into the sea. Once around The Clinker 
their destination was in plain sight. The shore 
receded for several hundred yards to the mouth 
of a little river which wound its way inland 
through miles of salt marsh. Beyond the 
river's mouth a rounded hill arose from the 
marsh level. It was well grassed on the land- 
ward side and a considerable grove of small 
trees clothed the summit which was perhaps 
forty or fifty feet above the beach. Here and 
there a ledge cropped out, suggesting that at one 
time Nobody's Island had been just what Toller's 
Rock was now, a bare mass of granite. But 
why Nature had clothed the one rock and left 
the other bare was not evident. Bee looked 
somewhat disappointed as he gazed at it. 


ON NOBODY’S ISLAND 


83 


“It isn’t very — very romantic looking, is it?” 
he asked. 1 ‘It ought to be more rugged and — 
and forbidding.” 

‘ ‘You’re hard to suit,” laughed Jack. ‘ ‘We’ll 
anchor in the river, Hal; there used to be an old 
pier there.” 

The pier hardly deserved the name any 
longer, for all that remained of it were a few 
rotting spiles. But after the launch had nego- 
tiated the sand-bar at the entrance to the little 
stream Jack worked it in between the spiles and 
passed the line around one of them and over a 
rusty spike. Then they pushed the stem of the 
launch to within a few feet of the shore and 
managed to jump ashore. The place of dis- 
embarkation was some fifty yards up the river 
and on the southwestern side of the island. 
Bee declared, though, that it was poppycock to 
call the place an island, since it was surrounded 
by water on but three sides. What it really 
amounted to was a hill rising from a sandy floor 
that was some six feet above high tide, with the 
ocean on two sides of it and Clam River on the 
third. On the fourth side, inland, nothing 
remained to show that at one time the river had 


84 


PARTNERS THREE 


flowed there too, although, as Jack pointed out, 
only some two hundred feet of sand, sprinkled 
with beach-grass, separated ocean and stream. 

“Some day when there’s a good big north- 
easter and a high tide the ocean will eat through 
there again, as like as not, and then it will be a 
real island once more.” 

“Let’s go to the top,” suggested Bee. “One 
of the first things to do is to make a map of it.” 

1 'What do you want a map for?” asked Hal. 

“What for?” Bee viewed him with disgust. 
“Don’t you know you always have to have a 
map of a place where you’re going to search for 
buried treasure? Honestly, Hal, sometimes I 
look at you in wonder! Don’t you know 
nothing, scarcely?” 

They climbed the hill and reached the grove 
on top. The trees — oak, maple, wild cherry 
and hemlock — were small, but vigorous. Bee 
pointed to one disgustedly. 

“That’s a nice thing to find on a treasure 
island,” he said. “A lot of names and initials 
cut in a tree trunk! It’s almost enough to dis- 
courage a fellow right at the start! I dare say 
as soon as we get nicely settled and begin to dig 


ON NOBODY'S ISLAND 85 

for that gold a lot of folks will come here and 
have a picnic!” 

“Well, you needn't be surprised if someone 
comes here to camp,” said Jack. “There's 
usually a camp or so here every summer, 
although since the bridge across the river up 
there fell down it isn't quite so handy to get to.” 

‘ ‘Oh, they'll probably build a new bridge or 
start a ferry,” replied Bee pessimistically. ‘ ‘Let's 
sit down here and meditate.” 

A flat rock, sprinkled with half-rotted needles 
from a hemlock tree that grew beside it, afforded 
an excellent seat. Behind them was the grove; 
in front the slope of the hill, more abrupt here 
than elsewhere and covered with coarse grass 
and bay-berry bushes. Wherever a rock cropped 
out a little colony of Christmas ferns grew pre- 
cariously. Just above the beach ran a tangle 
of sedge and low bushes; wild cherry, sweet fern, 
sheep laurel; interspersed with weeds and 
blackberry briars. To the left, half-way down 
the slope, one lone tree, dwarfed and misshapen, 
rustled a few leaves in the soft breeze. 

“We'll name this Lookout Rock,” said Bee. 
“You get a dandy view from here, don't you?” 

Before them lay mile on mile of blue ocean, 


86 


PARTNERS THREE 


asparkle in the afternoon sunlight, dotted here 
and there with a white sail or a trail of smoke. 

‘ ‘Old Vemy picked out a pretty good place to 
build his house, didn’t he?” asked Hal. “Do 
you know where it stood, Jack?” 

“No, I don’t. Somewhere on the ocean side, 
probably. Perhaps right below where we’re 
sitting.” 

‘ ‘Was it pulled down or what happened to it?” 

“They say the sheriffs or revenue men or 
whoever they were burned it down when they 
arrested the old chap. I suppose that explains 
why there isn’t any of it left. I’ve never seen 
even a timber of it.” 

“I suppose those rocks out there,” said Bee, 
pointing to the right, ‘ ‘are The Tombstones.” 

‘ ‘Yes, and many a schooner has piled up there, 
too,” answered Jack. ‘ ‘Father used to say that 
on a very calm day you could look down between 
Big Tombstone and Little Tombstone and see 
the ribs of a ship. I never saw them, though. 
Usually it’s too rough.” 

“You say they used to carry a lantern to 
attract the boats,” mused Bee. “Where did 
they do it?” 

“Why, right along the beach down there, I 


ON NOBODY’S ISLAND 


87 


guess. On the other side, too, probably; that 
would catch the boats coming down the shore. 
They’d think the lantern was a light on another 
ship and first thing they’d know they were piled 
up on the rocks or the sands. I never heard 
what happened to Old Verny. Some say they 
put him in prison for life, though. They should 
have hung him!” 

“Maybe they did,’ said Bee. “Maybe his 
ghost haunts the island on dark and stormy 
nights. Wouldn’t that be corking?” 

Hal shivered. ‘ Tf I ever see his ghost around 
here I’ll take the shortest and quickest route 
home!” 

“Well, I’m going to walk around and make a 
map of the place,” said Bee, arising energeti- 
cally. ' 'Want to come?” 

Both Jack and Hal, however, declared that 
they were quite comfortable and that they would 
wait for him where they were. 

“Don’t get lost,” laughed Hal. “And if you 
come across Old Verny ask him where he buried 
his treasure.” 

Bee produced a pencil and a small tablet of 
paper and strode off. Jack and Hal exchanged 
amused glances. 


88 


PARTNERS THREE 


“He’s daffy on the subject,” said Hal. 
“Doesn’t talk about anything else.” 

‘ ‘Does he really mean to come here and dig?” 
asked Jack. 

“Oh, yes, he’s absolutely serious about it. 
We’re to bring a tent here and camp out. I 
don’t mind. I rather like camping out, don’t 
you? And he insists that you must come with 
us. He thinks you’re pretty fine, Jack, and 
says we can’t get along without you. I hope 
you’ll come.” 

‘ ‘Why, I’d like to. I don’t want to make him 
pay me for it, Hal, but — I don’t think I could 
afford to do it unless he did. Has he a lot of 
money?” 

“Bee? Oh, yes; his father’s terribly rich, I 
believe; he’s a coal operator, whatever that is; 
owns mines, I guess. Bee gets money whenever 
he asks for it, pretty near. Still, he doesn’t 
usually waste it like this. I don’t mean that 
he’s mean, because he isn’t; he gives a lot to the 
school funds, like football and baseball and such; 
but he’s always careful to get his money’s worth.” 

“Well, it would be rather good fun to have a 
camp here for a week or so; especially if we 
struck good weather, and we’re likely to at this 


ON NOBODY’S ISLAND 


89 


time of year. There’s good fishing all around 
here, and good shooting, too, in season; lots of 
ducks on the marsh back there in the Fall. I 
don’t quite see why he wants the Crystal Spring 
here, though.” 

Hal laughed. “Oh, he just wants to do the 
thing right, I guess. Thinks it would look more 
like the stories he’s read. He’s always getting 
hold of some book about buried treasure; doesn’t 
read any other kind if he can help it. We might 
as well humor him. Of course, the hunting for 
the treasure part of it is just nonsense, but he 
likes to make believe that he’s going to find it.” 

“There’s a whole lot of ground to dig up,” 
said Jack with a smile. ‘ ‘Of course, if we knew 
just where Old Verney had his house we might 
have a go at it, but as we don’t it would be pretty 
hopeless.” 

“Seems as though some of the old fellows in 
town ought to know where the cabin stood,” 
reflected Hal. “It wasn’t much more than 
thirty or forty years ago, was it, that it was 
burned?” 

“About forty-one or two, I suppose.” 

“Bee talks to every old chap he runs across 
on the water-front,” said Hal, “and maybe he’s 
got a clue. Hello!” 


90 


PARTNERS THREE 


Hal had been digging with his heel in the 
brown loam at the foot of the rock and now he 
leaned over and picked something up. 

' 'What do you suppose this is?” he asked, as 
he bent over it. 

"Looks like a buckle,” said Jack. "It’s a 
funny one, though. Is it iron?” 

"No, I don’t think so.” Hal scraped a cor- 
ner of it on the rock. ' 'By jove, it’s gold, Jack !” 


CHAPTER VIII 
Hal Names the Launch 

“Let’s see.” Jack took the buckle and 
examined it. It was nearly three inches long 
and almost as wide and was a heavy, clumsy 
contraption. Opening his knife, he scraped it 
a little. Then he shook his head. “Brass,” 
he said. 

“Is it?” Hal was disappointed and his face 
fell. “Well, I never saw a brass buckle like 
that before. What do you suppose it was for?” 

“It might have come off a harness,” mused 
Jack. ‘ 'Only — no I don’t believe it did. Looks 
more like a buckle you’d wear. I guess it’s 
pretty old. Let’s take it home and clean it up 
and see what it looks like. Maybe it was Old 
Verny’s.” 

Just then Bee came climbing up the slope 
and they showed it to him. 

“Great!” he exclaimed as he took it and 
looked at it. “An old buckle, unmistakably 
Spanish!” 


92 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Unmistakably your grandmother !” jeered 
Hal. ‘ ‘How do you know it's Spanish?” 

1 ‘It must be. It isn’t American, is it?” 

“No, I suppose not. But it might be Chi- 
nese or Egyptian or Italian or — ” 

“Well, it looks Spanish to me,” persisted 
Bee. ‘ T shall keep it and polish it up.” 

“You’ll keep it! Say, who found that thing, 
I’d like to know?” 

“Whatever is found,” replied Bee, dropping 
the trophy in his pocket, ‘ ‘belongs to the Com- 
pany, my young friend.” 

“What Company?” 

“The Treasure Hunters’ Company, Limited,” 
replied Bee. ‘ ‘That’s us. When we get through 
we will make an even distribution of everything 
we have found — ” 

“Gee, we’ll be rich!” Hal jeered. “What are 
you going to do with your share, Jack?” 

“I guess I’ll put an addition on the house,” 
replied Jack gravely, ‘ ‘or — no, I know what I’ll 
do; I’ll put a gasoline engine into the Crystal 
Spring!” 

“I shall invest my share in United States 
bonds,” said Hal importantly. “Nothing like 
owning a few bonds. Then, when you’re old 
and decrepit — ” 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 


93 


‘ ‘Shut up,” said Bee good-naturedly, pushing 
his way between them and seating himself on 
the rock. “Now look here, fellow members of 
the Company. Fve been over the place and 
here's a rough map of it. Of course I haven't 
got distances absolutely correct, but they're 
near enough. They are — er — relatively cor- 
rect.” 

“Think of that!” murmured Hal. 

“Now,” continued Bee, “it's evident that 
when it comes to digging for the treasure we 
may — er — eliminate practically three-fourths of 
the island.” 

1 ‘Why?” asked Jack, studying the rough map 
that Bee held. 

‘ ‘Because at that time there was a branch of 
the river running along somewhere about here. 
I've indicated it with broken lines, you see. 
Old Verny wouldn't have been likely to have 
built his house right on the river, would he?” 

“N — no, probably not. It's pretty certain 
he built it somewhere around the south side of 
the hill, Bee. Around here we usually try to get 
protection from the north winds, you see.” 

“My own idea exactly, Jack,” agreed Bee. 

‘ ‘He certainly didn't build it here at the north- 


94 


PARTNERS THREE 


"V * 



HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 


95 


east side because that’s all ledge there and he’d 
have blown away, I guess. He wouldn’t have 
put it at the back of the hill because he wouldn’t 
have had any view of the sea except over 
toward the north. He’d have kept away from 
the east side because, as Jack says, he’d have got 
the north winds more or less. That accounts 
for three sides, doesn’t it? Well, and it leaves 
us the south side. He would have been sheltered 
there and he would have been near the river 
where he must have kept' his boat and where he 
probably had a landing. Do you think those 
posts down there are part of his pier, Jack?” 

“ I think so. It isn’t likely that anyone would 
have built a wharf here.” 

“ All right. We’re agreed then that the house 
or the cabin or whatever he lived in was on the 
south side of the island. Then the question 
arises: just where was it on the south side?” 

“He’s a wonderful arguer, isn’t he, Jack? 
And, professor, what is the answer to the ques- 
tion which has arisen?” 

“It isn’t answered definitely yet,” replied 
Bee, digging Hal with his elbow, “but if we bear 
in mind that the old rascal wanted shelter from 
the north, as he undoubtedly did, we can — er — 


96 


PARTNERS THREE 


reduce the probable territory to a small tract. 
He wouldn’t build very near the beach for fear 
of high tides, and he couldn’t have built up here 
on top because the trees are too close together. 
I’ve looked through this grove and there’s no 
evidence of any clearing. So, then — ” 

“Hold on a minute,” interrupted Jack. 
“You’re forgetting that these trees may have 
grown since Old Verny left. I dare say lots of 
them aren’t more than twenty or thirty years 
old.” 

Bee frowned. “That’s so,” he acknowledged. 
“But wait a bit, Jack. If the trees weren’t 
here when Verny was he certainly wouldn’t 
have built on such a bleak spot as the top of the 
hill, would he?” 

“No, I don’t think he would have. I guess 
it’s safe to say his cabin was somewhere on the 
slope of the hill, and probably on the south or 
southwesterly side.” 

“Oh, who cares where it was?” demanded 
Hal, with a yawn. “It isn’t there now and 
nobody knows that he ever buried any treasure.” 

“Now, suppose, then,” continued Bee, undis- 
turbed, “that we divide the island longitudinally 
and latitudinally with lines in this fashion. 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 


97 


The lines, you see, intersect pretty nearly in the 
middle of this bunch of trees. That has no 
importance. I merely mention it.” 

“For the love of Mike, Bee, get to something 
that has got importance!” implored Hal. “My 
brain is reeling already!” 

“Your whatV ’ asked Bee unkindly. “Now 
then, Jack, if we draw a line from where the 
latitudinal line and the edge of the grove meet 
on this side to where the longitudinal line meets 
the beach, and if we repeat the — er — operation 
on the other side, we have an isosceles triangle — ” 

“Help!” murmured Hal. 

“Enclosing the territory within which it is 
probable that our old friend the wrecker had his 
cabin,” continued Bee, warming to his lecture. 
“It stands to reason, though, that he wouldn’t 
build very near the apex of the triangle — that is, 
near the beach — because he would be less pro- 
tected there than farther up the slope. And we 
have already decided that he didn’t build on top 
of the hill. So, then, we have a very small 
territory left, hardly more than a hundred by, 
say, fifty. Get that, Hal?” 

“I do not! What’s more, I refuse to listen 
to your ravings any longer. I’m sorry I brought 
you here. I — ” 


98 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Well, you see what I mean, don’t you, Jack?” 

“Yes, and I guess your reasoning is all right, 
Bee. Only — ” 

“Only what?” 

“Only it’s a fair guess that if we ever do find 
out where Old Verny had his cabin it’ll be some- 
where we never thought of.” 

“It can’t be,” replied Bee, “because I’ve 
thought of every place there is! Now come over 
here and let’s look about. If we know that he 
had his place somewhere within the territory — 
er — specified — ” 

“We don’t know it,” said Hal. “We’ve only 
got your word for it. And you talk so many 
words that no one knows what you’re saying. 
You fellows go and look, if you want to. I’m 
going to sleep.” And Hal slid down to the 
ground, put his shoulders against the rock, 
pulled his hat over his face and evinced every 
intention of carrying out his threat. 

Bee observed him in pained disgust. “ Honest, 
Hal, I’ve a good mind to leave you out of the 
Company. You don’t take any interest at all 
in things! Come on, Jack.” 

They walked around nearer the river side of 
the hill and studied the slope there. There was 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 


99 


nothing to indicate that at one time a house 
had stood on it. A few small boulders lay about, 
to be sure, but they had evidently never been 
used in building. To the left of Bee’s suppos- 
ititious territory and just above the beach the 
small tree stood, misshapen and solitary. Aside 
from that the vegetation consisted of wild grass 
and briars and an occasional low bush of bay- 
berry or laurel. Bee frowned intently as he 
descended the hill, Jack following. 

“What do you suppose his cabin was built 
of, Jack?” 

“Wood, I suppose, since they burned it down. 
Probably of planks and stuff that he gathered 
along the shore. Perhaps he used timbers from 
the wrecks.” 

“Wouldn’t he have had a foundation, 
though?” 

“I don’t believe so. Anyway, there aren’t 
any stones in sight that look as though they’d 
been used that way. And, of course, burning 
the house wouldn’t have affected the founda- 
tion. Maybe they’ve got covered up, though.” 

Hal shook his head silently as though dis- 
agreeing with that theory. Finally — 

“What gets me, though,” he said, “is that 


100 


PARTNERS THREE 


there isn't even a level place here. It doesn't 
seem likely he'd have built on the slope without 
levelling off a bit." 

“I don't know. The slope isn't steep. He 
might have." 

“He must have. I'm certain the cabin stood 
somewhere around here. If I was going to dig 
I'd start pretty near where we're standing." 

“But look here, Bee, we don't know that; 
supposing, of course, he really did bury some 
money or something, he buried it near the 
house. He might have buried under a tree or — 
well, almost anywhere." 

“That's true, but the story goes that the old 
chap saw the constables coming and hurriedly 
dug a hole and hid his wealth. Well, if that is so 
he wouldn't have climbed to the top of the hill 
in plain sight of the officers; now would he? 
He'd probably have dug a hole behind the 
house or — That's it!" 

“What's it?" 

“Why, very likely he didn't have any floor to 
his cabin and he just dug a hole in the dirt inside! 
How's that?" 

“Sounds likely enough," Jack agreed. “But 
you don't want to lose sight of the fact, Bee, that 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 101 


maybe there wasn't anything buried, after all. 
If they didn't see him do it, how did they know? 
And if they did see him do it they'd have dug it 
up. I wouldn't bank too much on that yarn." 

“ I know," answered Bee untroubledly. “ Still, 
it's just as likely that there was treasure of some 
sort as that there .wasn't. If the old villain was 
piling ships up on the rocks here for twenty 
years or so, as the book I read said he did, he 
must have got something from them." 

“Well, if they were all schooners, and I guess 
they were, he wouldn't find very rich pickings 
aside from the cargoes. Skippers don't carry 
diamonds and gold around with them much." 

“They don't now, maybe, but perhaps they 
used to. They traded around at different ports, 
didn't they? Well, didn't they have to have 
money with them to pay for things? Jack, I’m 
plumb sure there's something buried on this 
island, and if I can find it I mean to. And, 
look here, you said awhile ago that he might have 
buried the stuff under a tree. Didn't we decide 
that the trees weren't there then?" 

“I believe we did," laughed Jack. “We 
don't know that for certain, though. Maybe 
he buried it alongside a rock, Bee." 


102 


PARTNERS THREE 


Bee pondered that, his gaze sweeping the slope 
for likely boulders. “ It wouldn’t be hard to dig 
beside the few rocks here,” he muttered, “and 
if everything else fails we’ll try that. Well, 
I suppose we’d better be getting back home. 
We can’t do any more here today, I guess!” 

When they announced that intention to Hal 
he declared that it was the first sensible thing he 
had heard Bee say all the afternoon. After 
they were back in the launch and were moving 
slowly down the little river, dodging the sand-bars 
that infested it, Bee was strangely silent. But 
as he kept his eyes on Nobody’s Island as long 
as it was in sight it wasn’t hard to guess the 
reason. He was still pondering the problem of 
Old Verny’s treasure. Hal, catching Jack’s 
eyes, nodded at Bee and tapped his own head 
significantly. Jack smiled. Once around The 
Clinker, with Nobody’s Island lost behind 
Toller’s Rock, Bee came back to earth, however. 

“We’ll start Tuesday, fellows,” he announced 
suddenly. 

“Start where?” asked Hal, above the thump- 
ing of the engine. 

“Start for the island; start our search for the 
treasure.” 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 103 


‘ ‘ Tuesday? Why Tuesday? ’ ’ 

“ Because it's the day after tomorrow,” replied 
Bee. “ Can you be ready then, Jack? ,, 

“ I guess so. You really mean to do it, then?” 

“ I surely do. We can get everything we want 
tomorrow, I think; we’ll get up a list tonight, 
Hal; and we can load the stuff onto the Crystal 
Spring Tuesday forenoon and go over to the 
island right after lunch. Can you have the 
sloop at the town landing about ten o’clock 
Tuesday forenoon, Jack?” 

“Aye, aye, sir!” 

“All right. That’s settled. Now, Hal, let’s 
settle on a name for the launch, eh?” 

“You needn’t trouble yourself,” answered 
Hal. “ She’s already named. 

“She is? WTiat is it? ’ 

“Her name is Corsair ,” replied Hal with 
dignity. 

“ Horse Hair? Why Horse Hair?” asked Bee 
bewilderedly. 

“I didn’t say Horse Hair I said Corsair /” 

“Oh, Coarse Hair! Well, what — ” 

“C-o-r-s-a-i-r, Corsair , you silly goat!” 

“Oh! And again oh! Corsair , eh? Well, that 
might do. What do you think, Jack?” 


104 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ Sounds all right to me/’ replied Jack when 
the name had been relayed to him. 

“ Still, I think we might find a better one,” 
said Bee. “Now, let’s see — ” 

“Look here,” exclaimed Hal warmly, “she’s 
my boat and if I want to name her Corsair I 
guess I can. And I do. And so she is!” 

“Grammatically, Hal, your construction is 
weak. ‘I do and so she is’ lacks — er — clarity. 
If I were you — ” 

“She’s named Corsair /” insisted Hal doggedly. 

“All right; don’t get peevish about it; only it 
seems to Jack and me — ” 

“I don’t care what it seems to you,” replied 
Hal, slathering oil on the engine with a lavish 
hand. “It’s settled. I’ve named her Cor- 
sair — ” 

“So you remarked before. I think it’s a 
perfectly lovely name, don’t you, Jack? So — so 
original, too! By the way, what is a corsair, 
Hal?” 

“Look it up in a dictionary,” growled Hal. 
“You make me tired. Always butting in — ” 
The rest was lost in the noise of the engine. 

Bee smiled sweetly. “No offence, old Hal. 
Say, all joking aside, what is a corsair?” 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 105 


“A corsair is a pirate,” replied Hal suspi- 
ciously. “It is also a pirate’s ship.” 

“Oh, then we’re pirates, are we? That is, 
you are?” 

“The name is Corsair ,” averred Hal deter- 
minedly. 

“All right, Mr. Pirate. And now, if you’ll 
just slather a few pints of that cylinder oil 
around the propeller casing you’ll have been 
pretty well over the boat with it. From the 
way you’re wasting it you must be some close 
relation to John D. Rockefeller.” 

Hal set down the oil can with a grin. “You’re 
an awful idiot, Bee.” 

“I are indeed. Hello, here we are at Mr. 
Herrick’s own private little cove! Jack, it’s 
you who should be the pirate instead of Hal. 
With a harbor of your own like this you could 
have a dandy time. You could sit on your door- 
steps up there with a spy-glass and when you 
saw a likely looking merchantman approaching 
you could sally — no, dash forth and attack her. 
Then, after you’d swiped — I mean captured all 
the treasure and made the captain and crew walk 
the plank you could dash back again. Honestly, 


106 


PARTNERS THREE 


Jack, I think you made a big mistake in your 
choice of professions. Instead of being the 
driver of a nautical waterwagon you should be 
flying the Jolly Roger and slicing off people’s 
heads with a cutlass!” 

“ You’d have an easy time of it if you were a 
pirate,” said Hal with elaborate sarcasm. 
“You wouldn’t need to carry a cutlass. You 
could just board a ship and talk them to death!” 

“Right you are, old Hal! If I was a pirate I’d 
lay about me with my trusty tongue and the 
scuppers would be filled with words! Ready 
with the bow line, there!” 

“Half-speed, Hal!” called Jack from the bow. 
“Stop her!” 

The Corsair floated into the cove and along- 
side the sloop. Jack climbed out and Bee took 
his place at the wheel. 

“Tuesday at ten, Jack,” said Bee. “Don’t 
forget. If you have anything you think we’ll 
need put it aboard, like a good fellow. We may 
see you tomorrow, though. All right, Hal; back 
her up easy.” 

When the launch had made the turn and was 
pointing her slim bow toward the mouth of the 


HAL NAMES THE LAUNCH 


107 


cove Bee made a trumpet of his hands and 
shouted back: 

“O Jack!” 

“Hello?” 

“Her name is Coarse Hair! Hal says so!” 
Jack laughed and waved his hand as the 
launch disappeared around the point. 

































CHAPTER IX 
The Expedition Lands 


At a little before three on Tuesday afternoon 
a regular flotilla of boats might have been seen 
to swing around Toller’s Rock. I doubt if it 
was seen, for the Rock and the shore beyond all 
the way to the farther side of Nobody’s Island 
was apparently empty of life, if one excepts the 
gulls and the land birds. Perhaps the word 
procession would be better than flotilla, for first 
came the Crystal Spring , wobbling along under 
her big gray mainsail, then the Corsair , floating 
gracefully at the end of a towline, and finally 
the Faith , dipping and rolling a little in the man- 
ner of young and playful dories. The Faith was 
Jack’s boat, a small, pea-green lapstreak dory 
that had spent most of its life in Herrick’s Cove 
and was now palpably excited by its tremendous 
adventure. The sloop was brought around into 
the wind near the mouth of Clam River and as 
close to the shore as Jack dared take her on a 
falling tide and the anchor was dropped. Then 


no 


PARTNERS THREE 


Hal and Bee tumbled into the launch and, with 
the doiy still in tow, ran up the river to the old 
pier. Here they made fast the , Corsair and 
rowed back in the dory to the Crystal Spring. 
Then began the unloading of the supplies. Bee 
remained in the dory and Jack and Hal passed 
the things down to him to stow away. As fast 
as the dory was loaded Jack jumped in and took 
the oars and rowed to the shore. There, with 
bare legs, the boys removed the cargo from boat 
to beach. Four trips were necessary before 
everything had been landed. Bee declared 
proudly that he had forgotten nothing, and the 
others, viewing the sands, enthusiastically 
agreed. 

“I guess you’ve got everything but a sewing 
machine and an automobile there,” said Hal. 

The anchor was pulled up and the sloop half- 
drifted and half-sailed into the mouth of the 
river. The anchor went down again and the big‘ ' 
sail was lowered and furled, Hal and Bee lending 
willing if inexperienced assistance. There was 
just room for the Crystal Spring to swing around 
with the tide in the new anchorage and in case of 
a blow she was fairly well protected. Even if 
she did settle her stern on the sand, Jack 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 


Hi 


explained, it wouldn’t matter, since she would 
float clear again the next tide. Then the three 
boys tumbled once more into the dory and rowed 
to the old pier where the Corsair was snuggled. 
The launch, too, bore her share of the supplies, 
being laden with six long inch-and-a-half planks, 
five pounds of spikes and a hatchet. Working 
with a will, the boys soon had a three-foot plat- 
form laid on the old spiles. Hal declared that he 
didn’t see any use in having a wharf when the 
things were already landed, but Bee reminded 
him that there was the treasure to think about. 

“It will be a heap easier to bring that chest 
of gold down here and lower it into the boat 
than it would be to get it into the dory and out 
again. You have to think of all those things, 
Hal. There’s nothing like looking ahead and 
being prepared.” 

Hal laughed. * ‘When you find that treasure, 
Bee,” he replied, ‘ Til swim out to the sloop with 
it.” 

Then they went around to where their goods 
littered the beach and considered the question 
of a location for the tent. The tent, a good- 
sized A of waterproof duck, had been loaned 
by Hal’s father. In fact, Bee had been very 


112 


PARTNERS THREE 


fortunate in not having had to purchase much of 
anything besides provisions. A pick, a shovel, 
a crowbar and a hatchet had also been loaned 
by Mr. Folsom; Mrs. Folsom had supplied 
blankets, pillows and cooking utensils; 
Jack had brought fishing lines, hooks and 
sinkers and Hal had added whatever of his 
possessions, including a shot-gun and a revolver, 
that Bee had seen fit to requisition. Even the 
planks had been obtained gratis, being some 
that had been left when repairs had been made 
to the Folsom wharves. Provisions Bee had 
had to pay for, but as he had obtained a liberal 
discount through HaPs father, his capital had 
not been much depleted. 

It was finally decided that the tent should be 
pitched on the southwest side of the hill at the 
edge of the grove. Jack pointed out that they 
would be shielded from the sun during the 
warmest part of the day and sheltered from rain 
storms as well by the crest of the hill and the 
trees. ‘ There may not be any rain storms,” he 
said, ‘ ‘but if there are they’re likely to come from 
seaward. We’d better ditch around the upper 
side of the tent, too.” 

It wasn’t easy to get the tent up on the place 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 


113 


they had selected for it seemed that wherever 
they tried to drive a peg they struck ledge. But 
they finally succeeded and drew aside to admire 
their handiwork. 

‘ ‘That’s a corking tent/’ said Bee. ‘ ‘And I’m 
glad it’s rain-proof, aren’t you?” 

Jack agreed, but wondered whether it would 
not have been wiser to have had the opening face 
the west instead of the east. ‘ ‘If we have any 
very hot weather it’s going to be stifling in 
there.” 

“That’s easy,” said Hal. “We can raise the 
sides of the tent around the bottom. Let’s 
get the stuff up here and think about supper. 
I’m getting starved. Bee was in such a rush to 
get away that I didn’t have time to eat a decent 
luncheon.” 

‘ ‘Eat!” Bee groaned. ‘ ‘I thought you’d never 
get through. That’s one thing that scares me a 
bit,” he confided to Jack as they descended to the 
beach. ‘ ‘We’ll have to go to town every day to 
buy food for that chap, I’m afraid.” 

For the next twenty minutes they were busy 
toiling up the slope with boxes and bundles and 
trotting down again for more. The only pause 
came when Bee dropped a bag of lemons from 


114 


PARTNERS THREE 


the summit of his load and the elusive things 
rolled in every direction down-hill. Jack and 
Hal, glad t-o rest a minute, sat down and laughed 
while Bee, depositing the rest of his load on the 
ground, tried to round them up. 

“I can only find eight of the pesky things,” 
he said at last, raising a perspiring face to his 
grinning companions. “Come on and help me 
you pair of gargoyles.” 

“We’re tired,” said Hal. “We refuse to lend 
you any lemon aid.” 

“Ow!” Bee collapsed to the ground and gave 
a spirited imitation of a boy having a fit. In 
the course of the performance he inadvertently 
upset the bag again and once more the lemons 
rolled away. Finally, Jack going to his assist- 
ance, all but two of the lemons were found and 
the routine began again. 

‘ ‘Some day,” panted Bee, as he trudged on up 
the hill with his bundles, “folks will find this 
island covered with a lemon grove and they’ll 
wonder, won’t they?” 

When all the belongings were within the tent 
Hal raised the question of cooking arrangements. 
Hal had tried all day to confront Bee with some 
contiBgency not already provided for by that 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 


115 


foresighted youth and so far had failed. He 
failed again in the present instance, too, for Bee 
answered promptly. 

“ Jack’s going to build a stone fire-place near 
the door here,” he said. 

“Oh, am I?” laughed Jack. “How do you 
know I can?” 

“You look like a mason,” replied Bee calmly. 
‘ ‘Besides, if you don’t know how I’ll show you.” 

“Then why don’t you do it yourself?” chal- 
lenged Hal. ‘ Tt seems to me you’re doing more 
bossing than work.” 

‘ ‘Somebody has to supply the brains, old Hal,” 
answered Bee cheerfully. “Come on and we’ll 
lug some stones for the mason.” 

There were plenty of them but those that were 
of the proper size were mostly at the foot of the 
slope, and long before they had enough at the 
tent Hal was heard to murmur that for his part 
he thought it would have been a heap more 
sensible to have brought a cook-stove along! 

But when the fire-place was finished even Hal 
had to own that it looked a lot jollier than a 
stove. “And a good deal more appropriate,” 
added Bee. ‘ ‘Whoever heard of hunting buried 
treasure on a desert island and cooking meals on 


116 


PARTNERS THREE 


a real stove? That would be a — a — one of those 
things.” 

“One of what things?” asked Jack, pausing 
to view his work. 

“Why, one of those an — anach — ” 

“Anachronism, he means,” explained Hal. 
‘ ‘He doesn’t know much English, Jack. You’ll 
have to excuse him. His education has been 
sadly neglected.” 

“There’s something in that,” replied Bee. 
“When he put me in to room with Hal, the 
Principal told me I was next to the stupidest 
boy in school. Of course, I don’t know what he 
meant by that.” Bee added the latter part of 
his remark rather hurriedly, as Hal was poising 
a nice large stone in his hand and had his gaze 
fixed disapprovingly on the speaker. “Folks 
do say such funny things sometimes.” Where- 
upon Bee by the simple expedient of rolling over 
backward, got behind Jack and out of range. 

“Now, we’ll have to hustle around and find 
some wood,” said Jack. “We can get some 
small stuff under the trees, I guess. Dead 
branches do pretty well. And there’s plenty 
of stuff on the beach, only it won’t be very dry 
probably. You fellows scurry around in the 
grove and I’ll go down to the beach.” 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 


117 


Afterwards they took the hatchet and cut 
sweet-fern, which Hal discovered quite a patch of 
at the back of the island, and sheep-laurel and 
spread it on the ground in the tent. On this 
they put their blankets, and, although now and 
then a sharp twig promised some discomfort, 
they decided that it would prove better than 
sleeping next to the ground. “And, anyway,” 
said Bee, who had never run across sweet-fern 
before, “it smells dandy; even better than sweet- 
grass.” 

After arranging the provisions near the door 
of the tent there seemed nothing left to do save 
wait for supper. It was only a few minutes past 
five and even Hal had to acknowledge that it 
was still too early to start the fire. Jack sug- 
gested that they might collect more wood and 
save themselves trouble another day, but that 
idea didn’t seem to appeal to the others. Hal 
asked Bee why he didn’t do a little digging for 
the treasure and get up an appetite. He even 
offered to accompany Bee and look on. But 
Bee said there was no use digging until he had 
decided where to dig. So they concluded to 
take a walk over the island instead. 

“Keep your eyes open, fellows,” advised Bee. 


118 PARTNERS THREE 

“We might find the place where Old Verny had 
his cabin/’ 

But although they made a complete circuit of 
the island they discovered nothing more exciting 
or useful than a horseshoe crab which Bee mar- 
velled at and treasured. From the northwest 
side of the hill they could follow the winding of 
Clam River for nearly two miles and Jack pointed 
out where, far up the little tidal stream, the old 
bridge used to stand. Far off, backed by a low 
wall of trees, ran the railway embankment. 
Farther southward Greenhaven was visible, the 
sun dying the white houses on the hill with rosy 
light as it sank into the west. Between the 
town and the island w r as a well-nigh untenanted 
expanse of marsh and meadow which, near the 
shore, merged into the gleaming sand dunes. 
One or two weather-beaten cabins dotted the 
area, but they were a good way off and served 
only to accentuate the loneliness that, with the 
approach of evening, seemed to envelop Nobody’s 
Island. Hal gave a little shiver as he turned 
away. 

“Come on and let’s light the fire and have 
some supper,” he said. “This place will get 
on my nerves in a minute.” 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 119 


1 ‘It does seem a long way off from everything, 
doesn’t it?” agreed Bee. ‘ That sunset is 
wonderful, though.” 

1 Td rather see a sirloin steak,” muttered Hal. 

4 ‘Well, that’s just what you will see in about 
half an hour,” Bee responded cheerfully. “And 
I’ll bet Jack can cook one to the King’s taste, 
too!” 

“Oh,” said Jack, “so I’m to do the cooking, 
am I?” 

“Of course. You surely couldn’t expect Hal 
to do it, and the only thing I ever tried to cook 
was a fried egg; and I didn’t know enough to 
take the shell off first!” 

They sought the tent and Jack set about 
getting a fire. “What are we going to have?” 
he asked. 

“We’ve got ten pounds of steak and chops, 
a bag of potatoes, six loaves of bread, lots of 
butter, tea and coffee,” enumerated Bee. 1 ‘And 
other things besides; bacon, flour, lard, sugar — 
er — oh, everything the heart of man could 
desire.” 

“Well, we’ll have a slice of steak, then, and 
some boiled potatoes. I’ll boil enough so there’ll 


120 


PARTNERS THREE 


be some left for frying in the morning. How 
about coffee? Want that or tea?” 

“Tea,” answered Hal. 

“Coffee,” said Bee. 

“Then I’ll have to cast the deciding vote. 
We’ll have tea. Coffee in the morning and tea 
the rest of the time. And — Great Scott!” 

“What?” the others demanded in a breath. 

Jack smiled. ‘ ‘Nothing,” he answered, apply- 
ing a match to the little heap of twigs in the fire- 
place. “Somebody might find a skillet and a 
sauce-pan. A kettle, too, for the tea. Got one, 
Bee?” 

“Surest thing you know.” 

“Fine! Just fill it half-full of water for me, 
will you?” 

“Water?” Bee, the tea-kettle in hand, gazed 
blankly at Jack. 

‘ ‘Of course ! We can’t have tea without water, 
can we?” 

‘ ‘Hal, solving the situation, let out a whoop of 
delight. At last Bee had been caught napping! 
Bee grinned in a rather sickly fashion. 

‘ ‘Is — is there a spring here, Jack?” he 
inquired. 

“Not that I know of. Why? You brought 
water along, didn’t you?” 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 121 

Bee shook his head. “I — I never thought 
of it.” 

Hal kicked his heels with joy. “Get some 
water for him, Bee; don't stand there like a 
dummy! Go on, get some water!" 

“But — but Old Verny must have had water! 
Where'd he get it, Jack? There must be a 
spring or a well or — or — " 

“He probably used bottled water," said Hal. 
“I dare say the grocer brought it to him." 

< Well, I never heard of a spring on Nobody's," 
replied Jack, ‘ ‘and I never saw any signs of one. 
Perhaps Verny had a well." 

“He must have! I'll look for it," and Bee 
started off with the tea-kettle in hand. 

“Don't be an idiot!" cried Hal. “If there 
ever was a well it's filled up long ago. You 
ought to have thought and brought water along. 
There's nothing like looking ahead and being 
prepared, Bee!" 

Bee tried to smile at that gibe, but made 
dismal work of it. “Then — then what can we 
do? We couldn't use salt water, could we, 
Jack?" 

“There's just one thing we can do," said Hal 
eagerly, “and that's go home sensibly. We 


122 PARTNERS THREE 

can’t stay here all night without any water to 
drink.” 

“Go home!” exclaimed Bee blankly. 

1 ‘Of course. Unless you want to row back to 
town and get a bucket of water.” 

“Speaking of buckets,” said Jack as, the fire 
burning briskly, he arose to his feet, ‘ ‘have we 
got one?” 

‘ ‘Two,” said Bee. ‘ ‘They’re in there. Why?” 

“Well, you watch this fire and keep it going 
and I’ll take the bucket and get the water.” 

‘ ‘I refuse to drink salt water!’ exclaimed Hal. 

‘ ‘Who said anything about salt water? 
laughed Jack. ‘ ‘I'm going to bring you some of 
the best water there is.” 

“Wh — where are you going to get it?” 
demanded Hal and Bee in chorus. 

“Out of the Crystal Spring ,” answered Jack 
as he swung off down the hill to the wharf. 
“She’s half-full of it!” 

“Gee, I never thought of that!” ejaculated 
Bee, subsiding on the ground with his tea- 
kettle still tightly clutched. 

“It seems to me,” said Hal sternly, “that 
there’s a whole lot you never thought of.” 

Bee had nothing to say. He only added more 


THE EXPEDITION LANDS 


123 


wood to the fire and in silence watched Jack 
jump into the dory and pull out to the sloop. 
For the rest of the evening he was chastened in 
spirit. 

That supper tasted wonderfully good. Jack 
was a clever camp cook and the way that two- 
pound piece of steak was cooked and the way 
the potatoes almost fell to pieces at the touch of 
a fork showed it. Perhaps the tea was a little 
bitter; anyhow, condensed milk doesn’t seem to 
go with tea as well as with coffee; and Hal said 
uncomplimentary things about the butter, but 
no one could find fault with the rest of the 
repast. They sat on the ground between the 
front of the tent and the fire and ate to reple- 
tion. And afterward they heaped more fuel on 
the dying blaze and snuggled back contentedly 
while the afterglow dimmed and a half moon 
grew from frosty silver to mellow gold and threw 
a broad pathway across the quiet water. They 
talked for an hour or more, but the fresh air and 
the exertions of the day soon began to tell and 
long before nine Hal was snoring frankly, his 
head propped up on Bee’s shoulder and Bee and 
Jack were nodding. Finally the lanterns were 
found and Jack managed to fill them from the 


124 


PARTNERS THREE 


gallon oil-can, spilling a good share of the oil 
on the ground in the darkness, and then lighted 
them and hung them from the tent poles. Hal 
was somehow awakened and, yawning and 
stumbling, got his clothes off and tumbled 
between his blankets. Bee and Jack speedily 
followed and soon all was still on Nobody’s 
save for the lapping of the waves on the beach 
and the healthy snoring of the members of the 
Treasure Hunters’ Company, Limited. 


CHAPTER X 
Bee Digs For Treasure 

The next morning dawned fair, with a little 
southeast breeze blowing from where, afar off on 
the horizon, lay a bank of haze. The adven- 
turers were up early. The sunlight beat on the 
wall of the tent and made sleep almost impossible 
after seven o'clock. There was a chill in the air 
though, as the three, with towels flying from 
their hands, scrambled down to the beach and 
plunged, shouting and laughing, into the water. 
The sea was several degrees warmer than the air 
outside and Hal was for remaining there and hav- 
ing his breakfast brought to him on a life-belt. 
But he got little encouragement from the others 
and so followed them out and rubbed his body 
to a glow with a towel in the faint warmth of the 
early sunlight. After that, although Jack 
worked as quickly as he knew how, it seemed 
hours and hours before the bacon and fried 
potatoes and fragrant coffee were ready. Hal 
occasioned merriment by trying to toast a slice 


126 


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of bread on the end of a stick and having to 
rescue it from the fire a half-dozen times 
before it was ready for eating. Bee regretted 
the lack of eggs and explained innocently that 
the reason he had not brought any was because 
they could find sea-gulls’ eggs on the rocks. 
“They always do that on desert islands/’ he 
added. He was visibly disappointed when Jack 
informed him that the gulls didn’t nest on 
Nobody’s and that, anyhow, he didn’t think 
Bee would care much for gulls’ eggs if he tried 
them. 

They cleaned the dishes by the simple expe- 
dient of carrying them to the beach and rubbing 
sand on them, afterwards rinsing them off with 
salt water. Then Bee was, he declared, ready 
for business. 

‘ ‘You fellows can do what you like for awhile. 
I’m going to look around and decide where to 
begin operations. ” 

Hal groaned. “Look here, Bee,” he pro- 
tested, “you aren’t really going to waste time 
and break your back digging are you?” 

“Waste time! What did we come here for, 
I’d like to know? I’m going to find the likeli- 
est spot and then we’re going to dig for that 


BEE DIGS FOR TREASURE 127 


treasure chest. Meanwhile, why don’t you 
fellows see if you can catch some fish for dinner?’' 

Hal sighed and shrugged his shoulders. ‘ ‘All 
right. Come on, Jack. We’ll go fishing. If 
you find anything, Bee, fire a cannon and we’ll 
come back.” 

They left him, crow-bar in hand, surveying 
with a thoughtful frown the southwest slope of 
the hill. They took the launch and went out 
beyond The Tombstones. There Jack dropped 
the anchor and they put their lines over. From 
time to time they looked back toward the island, 
but Bee was not in sight from where they lay, 
and Hal unkindly said he was willing to bet 
that Bee was fast asleep in the tent. By ten 
o’clock the sun had grown pretty warm and, as 
they had three small rock-cod and seven perch 
flopping around in the bottom of the launch, 
they decided to return to the island. ‘ ‘Although 
maybe we’re better off out here,” said Hal, “for 
Bee may put us to work with a pick or a shovel!” 

When they came within sight of the tent they 
saw Bee hard at it. Evidently he had reached a 
decision as to the locality of the cabin, for he was 
knee-deep in the earth and his shovel was 
appearing and disappearing with fine regu- 
larity. 


128 


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“Just look at the silly chump,” said Hal 
affectionately. “Isn’t he a wonder? I sup- 
pose we’ll have to humor him, Jack, and take 
our turns with the shovel. But I must say that 
that isn’t my idea of a good time!” 

Bee was red and perspiring when they reached 
him. He had started to dig within some ten 
or twelve yards of the tent and a little to the 
west of it and had made quite a good-sized hole 
in the ground. He leaned on the handle of his 
shovel and looked up at them triumphantly 
while beads of perspiration ran down his face. 

“This is the place, all right!” he proclaimed. 
“Just look there.” He pointed to where a 
rusted nail, about four inches long, lay beside 
the excavation. “I found that in the first 
shovelful I turned out, Jack!” 

“H’m; found any more?” 

“Not yet, but it shows pretty conclusively, 
doesn’t it, that the cabin stood here or pretty 
near? Now my idea is to dig trenches about 
eighteen inches wide right along the slope here; 
see? If I dig them, say, two feet apart I’m 
pretty sure to run across the chest or the box or 
whatever he put his treasure in.” 

“ Great Scott!” said Hal. “How long do you 


BEE DIGS FOR TREASURE 129 


think it will take you to do that, Bee? Why, 
you wouldn’t get it done in a month!” 

“Get out! Why, see what I’ve dug already, 
and I’ve only been at it — What time is it, any- 
way?” 

“Almost half -past ten,” replied Jack. Bee’s 
face fell. 

“Really? Well, it took me longer than I 
thought then.” He sat down on the side of the 
bank and reflectively examined four big purple 
blisters that decorated the palms of his hands. 

“They’ll break pretty soon,” said Hal cheer- 
fully. “Then you won’t be able to shovel. 
How long have you been at it?” 

“An hour, or a little more.” 

“And that’s all you’ve done!” 

“It’s hard in places. Look at the rocks.” 

“There’s no use digging where the ground has 
never been disturbed before,” said Jack, who was 
examining the rusty nail, “and that ground 
never has. See the way those stones fit against 
each other. You’re at the foot of a ledge, I 
guess; that stuff looks like rotten granite.” 
He tossed the nail aside and Bee quickly rescued 
it and dropped it into his pocket. 

“I’ll try farther down,” he murmured. He 


130 


PARTNERS THREE 


climbed out of the hole, measured off two feet on 
the slope and began again with the pick. But 
it was evident that Bee’s enthusiasm was suffer- 
ing a temporary eclipse. The half-dozen blows 
he struck were weak and uncertain. Suddenly 
he put the pick down and looked at the palm of 
his right hand. 

“Has it broken?” asked Hal eagerly. Bee 
nodded and reached for his handkerchief to tie 
around it. But Jack interposed. 

“Here,” he said, “give me that pick. I’ll 
dig for awhile. You rest. And you’d better 
wash that blister and keep the dirt out of it. 
Haven’t an old pair of gloves with you, have 
you?” 

“No.” Bee opened and closed his hand 
experimentally. “That’s funny, isn’t it? I 
suppose my hands are pretty soft.” 

“ Probably,” said Jack. “ Where do you want 
to dig this?” 

“ I thought we’d dig a trench about two and a 
half feet deep right along here. I’ll just tie a 
handkerchief around this and help you in a 
minute.” 

“You sit down and tend your wounds,” said 
Hal. “I’ll take the shovel a while. I guess 
my hands are as soft as yours, though.” 


BEE DIGS FOR TREASURE 131 

“I've heard rosin was good for them,” said 
Bee. 

“If you hold the shovel loosely, Hal, and stop 
when you feel the blisters coming you’d be all 
right. As soon as I get out of the way you can 
come along behind with your shovel.” 

“Just like a couple of Italians digging a 
trench for gas pipes,” murmured Hal. “I 
never thought I’d live to see this day!” 

Bee washed his sore hand with sea water and 
wrapped a handkerchief about it. Hal fell in 
behind Jack and shoveled aside the sod and dirt 
loosened by the pick. With coats off and sleeves 
rolled up the two boys labored valiantly and at 
the end of half an hour had a trench some eight 
feet long and a foot deep. The soil was a thin, 
dusty brown loam, with streaks of coarse gray 
sand which Jack said was disintegrated granite. 
Hal, wiping his forehead, said he was quite 
ready to believe it, and didn’t Jack want to 
swap implements awhile? Bee said they were 
getting on finely and thought there were fewer 
stones than higher up. 

“Maybe there won’t be any in the next 
trench,” he said hopefully. 

Hal leaned on the pick and viewed him 


132 


PARTNERS THREE 


reproachfully. “ Bee, you don’t really mean that 
you’re going to dig another one of these ditches?” 
he asked. 

“Of course; probably three more — unless we 
find the treasure first.” 

“Find the treasure!” growled Hal. “I’ll bet 
you anything there isn’t any treasure here and 
never was! And if you think that I’m going to 
waste my young life swinging a silly old pick and 
having sunstroke you’ve got another guess! 
Besides, I can feel the blisters coming.” 

“You knock off,” said Jack. “I’ll get this a 
little deeper and then maybe the boss will let 
us quit until it’s cooler.” 

“It is pretty hot,” acknowledged Bee. “We 
might wait until after dinner.” 

Hal stuck the end of the pick into the sod with 
a vicious blow and climbed out of the trench. 
“I’ve quit,” he announced disgustedly. “Come 
on, Jack.” 

“Has the whistle blown?” laughed Jack. 
“You go ahead and get cooled off. I’m not 
tired. I’ll get this a little deeper and be with 
you in a few minutes.” 

Hal went off grumbling to the tent and Bee 
siezed the pick and tried to wield it. But the 


BEE DIGS FOR TREASURE 133 

bandage on his hand interfered sadly. He kept 
going, however, until Jack decided to quit. 

“ There, that’s down pretty near two feet,” 
said Jack. “Now we’ll take a rest and then get 
some dinner. Come on. If you insist on using 
that hand, Bee, you’ll have it so sore you won’t 
be able to move it. You leave the digging to 
Hal and me today. After all, we’ve got plenty 
of time, I guess. No use trying to do it all 
today.” 

They found Hal stretched out on his blankets 
in the tent. 

“ It’s no use your coming in here if you want to 
get cool,” he announced peevishly. “ It’s as hot 
as Tophet in this place.” 

“Let’s get up under the trees where there’s a 
breeze,” Jack suggested. The breeze, how- 
ever, was hard to find. Still, it was cooler than 
in the tent, and the three boys stretched them- 
selves out on a thin carpet of pine needles and 
leaves. 

“Just see how smooth it is today,” said Bee, 
nodding at the water. “Let’s go out after din- 
ner and see if we can see that wreck you told 
about, Jack.” 

“All right. We can try. I guess we won’t 


134 


PARTNERS THREE 


find the water much smoother while we’re here. 
We ought to have one of those glass bottomed 
boats they use out in California. I was reading 
about them once. They say you can look right 
down into the water for fathoms and see the 
fishes and the seaweed and coral.” 

“What’s a fathom?” asked Bee. 

“Six feet. Father used to tell about a couple 
of men who used to sail out of here. They were 
brothers. One of them was six feet and four 
inches and the other was six feet and two inches 
tall. They used to call the taller one Long 
Fathom and the other Short Fathom.” 

“I thought a fathom was a long way| four or 
five hundred feet,” said Bee. 

“Maybe you were thinking of a cable. A 
cable’s six hundred feet, and ten cables make a 
knot.” 

“And a knot is more than a mile, isn’t it?” 

“Eight hundred and two feet more. Twenty 
knots equal just about twenty-three miles.” 

“I don’t see why they don’t measure distance 
on the water by miles,” said Hal. “It’s beastly 
confusing.” 

“If you come to that,” replied Jack, “the 
knot is the more sensible measurement. Every 


BEE DIGS FOR TREASURE 135 


degree of the earth’s circumference is divided into 
sixty knots, making twenty-one thousand and six 
hundred knots. There are three hundred and 
sixty degrees, you know.” 

“Oh, yes, I knew, of course,” laughed Bee. 
“Only I guess I’d forgotten. Now let’s see. 
A fathom is six feet, a cable is six hundred feet 
and ten cables make a knot. And a knot is — is 
eight hundred and sixty feet longer than a mile.” 

“Eight hundred and two feet,” corrected 
Jack. “And now, as the lesson is over, say we 
go down and see what the neighbors have 
brought in for dinner.” 

“Fine idea!” agreed Hal. “I’ve got just one 
question to ask, though, before the class is dis- 
missed. Professor, how many knots are there 
in a knotical mile?” 

“Why, he’s just told you,” began Bee. Then 
the pun dawned on him and he chased Hal down 
the hill with wild threats. They had some of the 
chops for dinner, with potatoes baked in a bed 
of ashes, bread and tea. And afterwards Jack 
made a batter of prepared flour and fried griddle 
cakes in the skillet. Unfortunately Bee had 
neglected to provide syrup, but sugar did pretty 
nearly as well, and by the time the last cake had 


136 


PARTNERS THREE 


disappeared the trio had no ambition beyond 
lying on their backs and staring sleepily into 
space. 

“I wouldn’t look at a shovel for a million 
dollars,” muttered Hal. “And if any one 
mentions food to me I’ll die!” 

“Those were some cakes,” groaned Bee. 
“Did you — did you put lead in them, Jack?” 

“Lead? Get out! They were as light as 
feathers!” 

“Were they? Then I guess I know how a 
feather mattress feels!” He rolled over in 
search of a more comfortable position and gave 
an exclamation of surprise. “There’s a man in 
a rowboat down there, fellows, and he’s coming 
ashore!” 


CHAPTER XI 
The Man With The Glass Eye 

By the time Jack and Hal had painfully 
assumed sitting positions the arrival had beached 
his dory and was stepping ashore. 

“Who is it?” asked Hal. 

Jack shook his head. “ I don't know. Maybe 
a clammer. Which way did he come, Bee?” 

“Search me. I only saw him when he was 
shoving his boat onto the sand. What's a 
clammer?” 

“A man who digs clams,” laughed Jack. “I 
guess he's coming up to look us over.” 

The man had pulled up his dory — a rather 
disreputable looking craft sadly in need of 
paint — just inside the mouth of the river and 
was slowly climbing the slope. When he reached 
the place where the boys had been digging he 
stopped and examined the excavations for fully 
a minute. Then he came on and the campers 
had their first good look at him. 


138 


PARTNERS THREE 


“My word!” ejaculated Hal sotto voce. 
“Isn’t he a fine old cutthroat!” 

Which uncomplimentary description seemed 
very appropriate to the rest. The man was 
short, stocky and wide of shoulder. A pair of 
rusty black trousers, a faded blue pea-jacket and 
a cheap gingham shirt comprised the bulk of his 
attire. But it was the countenance that had 
prompted Hal’s simile. The face was wrinkled 
and seamed and of the hue of leather, and a 
straggling brown beard covered the lower half 
of it. The nose was hooked and crooked and a 
pair of light colored eyes, which might have been 
gray or green, gleamed brightly at the group by 
the tent. The eyebrows were heavy and came 
together over the nose. On his head was an old 
felt hat, the front brim pulled down. A ragged 
mustache met the beard and hid the mouth, but 
the man seemed to be smiling as he greeted the 
boys. 

“Howdy do, mates,” he said in a gruff voice 
that seemed to come from his scuffed boots. 
“Fine weather we’re having.” 

“You can’t beat it,” replied Hal flippantly. 

The stranger paused in front of the group and 
thrust his big, gnarled hands into the pockets 


THE MAN WITH THE GLASS EYE 139 


of his jacket. The boys were gazing fascinatedly 
now at the man’s right eye which, no matter 
how its companion roamed, remained fixed upon 
them with a baleful gleam. 

“ Campin’ out, I see,” said the man. “Havin’ 
a fine time, too, I bet ye.” 

“Great,” agreed Hal. “Anything we can do 
for you?” 

“Thank ye, my boy. I might take a bit to 
eat if it’s right handy. Not wishin’ to put ye 
to no trouble, however.” 

“That’s all right,” said Jack. “We haven’t 
anything cooked, though. Maybe there’s some 
tea left, and we’ve got plenty of bread and 
butter.” 

“The butter’s not very good,” warned Hal. 

“I ain’t partic’lar,” was the response. The 
left eye followed Jack as he disappeared into the 
tent, while the right eye continued to regard 
Hal and Bee unblinkingly. Jack returned with 
several big slabs of bread and a generous square 
of butter. The teapot proved good for another 
cup of tea and soon the stranger, seated on an 
inverted bucket, was lunching. He ate slowly, 
consuming the bread in huge bites and washing 
it down with draughts of the luke-warm tea. 


140 


PARTNERS THREE 


If he was really as hungry as he had led them 
to suppose he disguised the fact well. “I 
cal’ate you’re going to build,” he observed 
between mouthfuls of the bread and butter. 

“ Build?” echoed Jack. “No, I guess not.” 

“Oh? Well, I see you’d been a-diggin’ of a 
hole down there.” 

“Yes,” replied Hal, who had taken a violent 
dislike to the visitor, “w r e were digging for 
clams.” 

Both eyes turned tow r ard Hal and the ends of 
the ragged mustache quivered in what was 
apparently a smile. “Fond of a joke, you be, 
ain't ye?” he inquired with a rumble that might 
have been a laugh. 

“Yes, I be,” answered Hal, in spite of a warn- 
ing look from Jack. “ Be n’t you?” 

“Oh, yes, son, oh, yes!” rumbled the man. 
“I be mighty fond of a good joke — on t’other 
fellow! I cal’ate what you’re diggin’ for is 
yellow’ clams, eh?” 

“Yellow clams?” repeated Jack questioningly. 

The left eye closed in a portentious w T ink. 
“Aye, gold clams, mate. Ho, they all try it. 
Man an’ boy, I been around this place fifty year 
or more, on an’ off, an’ I’ve seen ’em diggin’ an’ 


THE MAN WITH THE GLASS EYE 141 

diggin 7 an 7 digging but I never seen nothin 7 come 
up, mates. Big Vemy hid it well . 77 

“Did you ever see him ? 77 asked Bee eagerly. 

“Often, when I was a youngster. I 7 ve spoke 
to him, too. A big man he w^as, might be six 
foot an 7 more, an 7 as strong as a bull. 7 ’ 

“He lived here, didn 7 t he ? 77 pursued Bee. 
“Do you remember where his cabin was ? 77 

The visitors active eye swept over the slope. 
“Not exactly , 77 he answered. “It might have 
been pretty near where you been diggin — 77 
(An exclamation of satisfaction from Bee.) “ Or, 
again, it might have been more to the land’ard 
side. I recollect it was between the trees an 7 
the beach . 77 

“Then the trees were here then ? 77 asked Jack. 

“Them trees has always been here long as I 
can remember, mate. An 7 Big Verny 7 s cabin 
was here long before I first seen the island. 
A funny sort o 7 hutch it was, too; built of 
wreckage an 7 pieces o 7 tin for a roof. There was 
a sort o 7 shed farther along. He kept a cow an 7 
a pony in it . 77 

“Did he live here all alone ? 77 Hal asked. 

“No, there was two sons with him some o 7 the 
time. An 7 he had a wife once, but she died. 


142 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ Is it true that he used to show lanterns and 
make ships run on the rocks !” Bee inquired. 

“Well, I can’t say as to that, son. There was 
them as said he did an’ them as said he didn’t. 
Anyway, there was a sight o’ wrecks around here 
them days. An’ finally the revenue officers came 
over here one night — just about sundown it was 
— and cleaned up the nest. Big Verny they 
caught, but Jule got away. He was the young- 
est of the boys. He weren’t so very young 
neither. Folks say he ran plumb into the sea 
and swum down the shore to the beach.” 

“What became of the other son?” 

“He put up a fight an’ they shot him. Died 
in the jail, I heard. Big Verny was tried and sent 
to prison. He died too, after.” 

“Do you really think he buried anything on 
the island?” asked Bee. 

“Big Verny? Sure he did, mate, an’ some 
day it’ll be found. It’s here somewhere.” He 
looked about him speculatively. “ Maybe you’ll 
strike it yourself. Nobody knows where he put 
it. Some says he buried it near the cabin an’ 
some says he buried it in the sand. There’s no 
way o’ knowin’. I used to dig myself years ago 
when I was younger; blistered my hands many’s 


THE MAN WITH THE GLASS EYE 143 


the time. Why, I’ve stuck a shovel, one time or 
another, in most every foot o’ this old hill! 
Never found any gold, though; ’ceptin’ this, and 
it be silver.” 

He dug a gnarled hand into a pocket of his 
trousers and brought up a few coins from 
amongst which he selected a worn one. He 
flipped it across to Jack. 

“What is it?” asked Jack as he examined it. 

“A English shillin’. I dug it up somewhere 
near here; I forget just where, now.” 

Bee and Hal examined the coin in turn. It 
was worn almost smooth, but sharp eyes could 
still detect the stamping. Bee was eager and 
excited. 

“What have I told you fellows?” he demanded. 
“If this — gentleman found this here, why, there 
must be more of them!” 

“That’s only silver,” said the man. “There’s 
gold here too; doubloons, likely, and solid bars of 
it. An’ jewels, too, most likely. Big Verny 
caught a lot o’ things in his nets!” 

“ I wish you could remember where the cabin 
stood,” said Bee as he returned the coin. The 
man chuckled hoarsely. 


144 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I've often wished the same myself. Likely 
there's where he hid his money, mate. Well, 
I'll be goin'. Good luck to you, mates; I'm 
hoping you find them yellow clams. Be you 
goin' to stay here long on the island?" 

“ Until we find that treasure," replied Bee 
determinedly. 

The man chuckled. “Ho, bully boy! Keep 
at it, mate, keep at it. You can't never tell 
when your shovel’ll strike wood. Then you'll 
all be rich, eh? Think o' them red fellows 
a-glitterin' at you, and jewels, red an' white an' 
green an' blue, a-tricklin' through your fingers, 
eh? Aye, aye, good luck to you, mates!" 

“Do you live around here?" asked Jack. 

The visitor waved a hand vaguely in the 
direction of the winding river. “Up there when 
I'm to home. Bill Glass is my name, mate. 
Lots o' folks knows Honest Bill Glass. Poor 
I be, but honest; which is due to my attendin’ 
Sunday school reg'lar, mates." 

“Fishing, are you?" Jack nodded at the dory 
pulled up on the beach. 

“ I do a bit at times. Clammin', too. Maybe 
you'd want some clams, mates? I sell 'em cheap. 


THE MAN WITH THE GLASS EYE 145 


I’ll bring some around to you some day soon. 
Don't buy if you don’t want ’em. Honest Bill 
Glass don’t take money without givin’ complete 
satisfaction. Poor I be, but honest, mates. 
Good day to you.” 

He w^ent off down the slope, slowly, with an 
odd drag to his feet, and again stopped at the 
trench. After a moment he looked up and back 
and waved a hand. Then he went on. They 
watched him push off his dory and scramble 
aboard with an agility surprising in one who 
looked to be fully fifty-five or -six years old, and 
settle at the oars. He rowed with short, slow 
strokes up the river. For several minutes they 
could follow the course of the old dory, and then 
it was lost to sight behind the bank at a turn. 

" Well, he’s a character,” said Jack. " 'Honest 
Bill Glass, ’ eh? I’ll bet he would steal the shoes 
off your feet if he had a chance!” 

"A regular old pirate is what he looks like,” 
said Hal. "He might have stepped right out of 
one of those silly stories you’re forever reading, 
Bee.” 

"Mightn’t he?” agreed Bee with enthusiasm. 
"But what was the matter with his eyes? Did 
you notice them?” 


146 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Sure; one of them is glass,” replied Hal. 
“Gee, I’d hate to meet him on a dark corner at 
night! I’m not sure I won’t dream of him as it 
is. I hope he doesn’t come butting in here 
again.” 

“He said he was going to bring us clams,” 
replied Bee. “I wonder where he lives.” 

“Probably up there at the end of the river,” 
said Jack. “There are two or three shanties 
near the railroad. I guess, though, we can dig 
all the clams we need ourselves. I don’t like 
his looks, fellows.” 

“But I’m glad he came,” said Bee. “I was 
beginning to get a bit discouraged. Now, 
though, we know that the treasure must be here.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t believe him on oath,” scoffed 
Hal. “Did you notice that shilling he passed 
around?” 

“Yes, and if he found that hereon the island — ” 

“He didn’t.” 

“How do you know he didn’t?” demanded 
Bee anxiously. 

“Because I could read the date on it, even if it 
was worn almost off. It was 1884. That’s less 
than thirty years ago, and Old Verny hid his 


THE MAN WITH THE GLASS EYE 147 


treasure — if he did hide any — more than ten 
years before that.” 

“Are you sure about the date?” asked Bee, 
crestfallen. 

“Ab-so-lutely, old Bee. It was plain as the 
nose on your face if you held the coin right. I 
don’t see what he wanted to lie for, though.” 

“Then you don’t think he ever saw Old Verny 
or ever dug here?” 

“He may have,” said Jack. “I didn’t see 
the date on the shilling, but he probably thought 
he’d have a joke on us. Anyhow, he didn’t 
seem to remember where the cabin stood, and if 
he knew Old Verny — Big Verny, he called him — 
you’d think he’d remember where the old pirate 
lived.” 

“He’s a fakir,” said Hal with decision. “And 
I’m going to sleep with my revolver under my 
head tonight. Gee, he may come around here 
and murder us for our clothes! He wouldn’t 
get much else, I guess.” 

“Oh, I guess he’s a harmless old duffer,” 
rejoined Jack carelessly. “And I dare say we 
shan’t see him again. Now, what about going 
out to The Tombstones? Recovered from those 
flap-jacks yet?” 


148 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Sure,” said Hal. “Let's go. Want to, 
Bee?” 

Bee looked undecidedly at the excavations 
and then at his hand. Finally he nodded. 
“Yes, I guess so. When we get back I'll have 
another spell with the shovel, I think. It'll be 
cooler then.” 


CHAPTER XII 
The Sunken Wreck 

The surface of the water was almost like a 
mirror as they chugged out of the river in the 
Corsair , Jack at the wheel and Hal industriously 
slopping oil over the engine. But once around 
the end of the island they began to meet cat’s- 
paws. Jack guided the launch in between the 
two black rocks which shoved their heads, 
draped with sea-weed, a few feet above the sur- 
face. The anchor was dropped and the line 
payed out for nearly sixty feet before a hold was 
found. By that time the launch was just to the 
north of the channel between the two ledges. 
The surface was ripply, but Bee, who was given 
the first chance, reported that he could see quite 
a ways down. He lay sprawled out on the stern 
deck, with Jack and Hal holding his legs and his 
face a few inches above the water. 

“See any timbers?” asked Jack. 

“No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure. Now 
and then — Hi, yes, I do, fellows! There’s a 


150 


PARTNERS THREE 


long curving thing down there. I thought at 
first it was a rock, but it can't be.” 

“Get up and let someone else have a look,” 
said Hal. 

“Just a minute,” replied Bee in a smothered 
voice. “There's something further down — 
Gee, if the water would only keep still a minute!” 

Finally he consented to being pulled back on 
deck and Hal took his place. Hal couldn't see 
a thing, he declared, and scoffed at Bee when he 
w^as pulled back. But Jack verified Bee’s 
story. He got them to lower him until he could 
put his face under the water. At intervals he 
lifted his head for a breath and then put it under 
again. When he finally told them to pull him 
back he was drenched to his shoulders. 

“Bee was right, though,” he said. “You can 
see three or four ribs and something square 
that might be a deck-house; only I don't see 
why a deck-house wouldn't have floated away. 
The ribs are covered with barnacles and mussels 
and seaweed. It looks as though the boat had 
gone clean over the ledge and broken her back. 
Probably she was trying to round the island 
and thought she had lots of room. I wonder 
who she was.” 


THE SUNKEN WRECK 151 

“Has she been there a long time?” asked Bee 
awedly. 

“ Years and years. My father used to tell 
about seeing her when I was just a tiny tot. I 
wouldn’t be surprised if she’d been there fifty 
years or even more!” 

“Why couldn’t I see anything?” grumbled 
Hal. “I’m coming back here some day when 
it’s calmer.” 

“You won’t ever find it much calmer,” said 
Jack. “And, anyway, there’s a sort of current 
between the rocks here that keeps the surface 
blurred. Better have another look now, Hal.” 

So Hal tried again, with Jack telling him where 
to look and what to look for, and had better luck. 
“She must have been a big old ship,” he said as 
he wiped the water from his face. “Why, those 
rib things seem to go down for twenty or thirty 
feet!” 

“Wish I were a diver,” said Bee. “I’d go 
down and see what’s there. Maybe I’d find a 
treasure chest or a skeleton or something.” 

“What I like about you, Bee,” Jack laughed, 
“is that you aren’t at all hard to please. Most 
anything suits you. If you can’t find a lot of 


152 


PARTNERS THREE 


gold and jewels you’ll take a skeleton and be 
satisfied. Say we go for a little trip up the 
shore, fellows?” 

Bee, still fascinated by his glimpses of the 
sunken ship, readily agreed, to the surprise of 
the others, and Jack pulled up the anchor and 
headed the Corsair’s nose straight up the coast. 
Bee demanded the wheel presently and Jack 
relinquished it to him, and he and Hal settled 
themselves comfortably on the seats abaft the 
engine and proceeded to enjoy the cruise. 
There w^as enough air stirring to mitigate the 
heat of the sun and the radiation from the engine 
and it was very pleasant there in the launch. 
Hal, keeping one ear open, so to speak, for sounds 
of trouble from the engine, closed his eyes and 
relapsed into condition of half-slumber in which 
he was vaguely conscious of the rythmic rise 
and fall of the boat, the steady jar and click of 
the engine and the pop , pop y pop of the exhaust. 
Also he was vaguely conscious of some disturb- 
ing factor which eventually resolved itself into 
a monotonous chant from the bow. It was Bee, 
again pouring out his soul to the ocean. 


THE SUNKEN WRECK 


153 


“0 Sea! 0 Sea! O Sea! 

O beautiful, beautiful Sea! 

You’re calm enough just now, all right, 
You’re blue and tum-ti-tum — ti bright, 

But you can’t fool me, O Sea, O Sea* 

You can be just as mean as mean can be 
And toss little boats all over the shop, 

And no one knows when you’re going to 
stop. 

0 cruel Sea! O cruel Sea! 

Don’t you ever go and get fresh with me. 

1 think you’re fine when you don’t act 
funny, 

But I hate you, Sea, when I’m sick in my 
tummy ” 

“ That’s a punk rhyme,” laughed Jack. 

“ Hello! I thought you were asleep,” replied 
Bee, looking around. “ That’s my ‘Ode to the 
Sea.’ There are seventeen other verses, but I 
haven’t composed them yet. Some ode, isn’t 
it? Is old Hal asleep?” 

“Not quite, I guess. He’s trying to make 
himself think he is.” 

“How can anyone sleep when you’re making a 
disturbance like that?” growled Hal. “If he 


154 PARTNERS THREE 

starts again, Jack, heave him overboard, will 
you?” 

“Aye, aye, sir! I’ll keel-haul him if you say 
so.” 

“No, string him to the yard-arm,” murmured 

Hal. 

“Someone’s stolen the yard-arm,” said Bee. 
“I shall now compose an ‘Ode to the Coarse 
Hair ” 

“Oh, brave Coarse Hair! 0, gallant craft 
As graceful as a lumber raft! 

Ho^ blithely doth thou skim along! 

How — how like — how like ” 

“Oh, shut up!” yelled Hal. “For the love of 
mud, Jack, throw something at him!” 

“Ah! Ingratitude! I shall now chant an 
‘Ode on Ingratitude.’ ” 

“You do and I’ll come up there and kill you,” 
said Hal earnestly. “Where are we, Jack?” 

“About four miles from the island and a mile 
or so off Tuckersville. That’s Brig Reef off 
there. I guess we’d better swing around, Bee, 
and head her back. Want me to take her?” 

“I do not. I am quite capable of swinging 
her around. In fact, shipmates, I think I’m 


THE SUNKEN WRECK 


155 


getting to be something of a navigator. Here- 
after I shall sign my name 'Beaman Mansfield, 
A. B.,’ meaning able seaman.” 

“You’d better sign it 'B. A./ meaning bloom- 
ing ass,” replied Hal. “Here! What are you 
doing? Trying to upset us?” 

“No, sir, I was swinging her around. She — 
er — swung a trifle abruptly, so to speak.” 

“She certainly did,” grumbled Hal. “That 
wave went all the way down my back. Ugh!” 

“I’m sorry, old Hal, but the Coarse Hair is 
inclined to be a bit kittenish today. She’s 
feeling her oats — I mean her gasoline.” 

“By Jove!” exclaimed Hal. “I wonder — ” 

“What?” asked Jack as the other paused. 

“How much she’s got.” 

“How much what? Gasoline?” 

“Yes. She didn’t have very much yesterday. 
I — I guess I’d better look and see.” 

He made for the bow, but Bee was already 
unscrewing the cap in the deck. “Find the 
stick underneath there, Hal.” 

Hal got the measuring stick out of the locker 
and Bee dropped one end of it through the open- 
ing. It produced a very empty sound as it 
struck the bottom of the tank and when Bee 


156 


PARTNERS THREE 


pulled it out only a quarter of an inch was wet. 
The boys looked at each other in dismay. 
Then Bee laughed. 

“ Aren't we a nice little bunch of launchers?” 
he asked. “How far will that take us, Jack?” 

Jack shook his head. “Hard to tell. It may 
take us all the way back and it may not. Haven't 
any more aboard, have you?” 

“Gasoline? Not a bit,” replied Hal. 
“Couldn't use oil, could we?” Bee questioned. 
“We've got quite a supply of that, unless Hal's 
slopped it all on the engine.” 

“Well, we'll keep her going,” said Jack. 
“After the gas gives out we'll use the oars. 
Luckily it's nice and smooth.” 

“And I just love to row,” murmured Bee. 
“It — it's so poetic. 1 Merrily we row along, 
row along, row along!' Say, how would it do 
to imitate the Irishman who was painting the 
fence? You know he hurried to get through 
before the paint gave out. Maybe if we put 
her at full speed we can get home before the 
gasoline's all gone!” 

“She's sputtering now,” said Hal sadly. 
They listened. Yes, she was already “miss- 
ing.” 


THE SUNKEN WRECK 


157 


“She’ll go a long time yet, though,” said 
Jack. “ Probably we won’t have to row more 
than a couple of miles.” 

“Oh, I’m so disappointed,” said Bee. “I 
hoped we’d have the pleasure of rowing all the 
way! ‘ Gasoline! Gasoline! First you put it 
in the tank; then you turn — ’” 

“Oh, cut out the funny-business!” begged 
Hal. “It’s a wonder you wouldn’t have 
reminded me that the tank was low.” 

“It’s a wonder you wouldn’t have reminded 
me to remind you,” replied Bee imperturbably. 
“Anyhow, why be tragic? Rather let us eat, 
drink and be merry, for presently we row! 
And speaking of drinking, fellows, a nice cold 
glass of lemonade wouldn’t go badly. Or even 
a chocolate ice-cream soda.” 

Hal had walked disgustedly back to the engine 
and now, with oil-can in hand, was anxiously 
watching its dying efforts. Whenever the car- 
bureter gasped he slathered oil right and left. 
The Corsair’s speed diminished little by little 
until finally Jack was called on to decide whether 
she was actually progressing at all. She was 
still pushing forward, however, and Nobody’s 
Island looked very near, although Jack dashed 


158 


PARTNERS THREE 


Bee’s elation by declaring that distances across 
water were deceptive and that a good mile and 
a half still separated them from home. 

“ We can make it before supper time, though,” 
he added. 

“Before supper time!” ejaculated Hal. 
“What time is it now, then?” 

“Ten minutes to four. Rowing a launch is 
mighty slow work, and we’ll have the tide 
against us, too. What locker are the oars in?” 

“Over here. I’ll get them.” Hal pulled up 
the lid after some exertion. “No, they must be 
on the other side. Look here, I thought we 
put — yank that lid off, Jack!” 

“No oars here,” said Jack quietly as he 
looked in. 

“And no boat-hook! And no — no nothing! 
Somebody’s swiped them! Bee, do you hear? 
Somebody’s stolen the oars and the boat-hook 
and that new rope and — ’ 

“Yes, and the compass and the lanterns, and 
the fog-horn,” replied Bee, who had hurriedly 
peered into a forward locker. “That’s a fine 
note!” 

“I’ll bet you anything it was that glass-eyed 
pirate!” exclaimed Hal wildly. “Honest Bill 
Glass! I hope — I hope he drowns!” 


THE SUNKEN WRECK 159 

“ You’re sure you had them when we came to 
the island?” asked Jack thoughtfully. 

“ Positive! It’s a wonder he left the anchor, 
the old scoundrel!” 

“ Maybe he’s coming back for that tonight,” 
suggested Bee. 

“If he does I’ll be waiting for him,” answered 
Hal grimly. “What shall we do, Jack?” 

And, as though echoing the question, at that 
moment the engine came to a final stop. 











CHAPTER XIII 
Marooned! 

Bee, leaning against the wheel, whistled 
softly. Hal looked from the idle engine to the 
green slopes of the island in deep disgust. 
Jack swept his gaze up and down the shore. 
An hour ago there had been a half-dozen sails 
in sight; now, save for a tug and a line of barges 
afar out, and a four-masted schooner some five 
miles southward, not a craft was in sight. Hal 
broke the silence first. 

“This is a nice mess!” he exclaimed. “What 
shall we do?” 

“I don’t believe there’s much we can do,” 
responded Jack. “ I guess if we wait long enough 
somebody’ll come along and give us a tow, but 
until then about the only thing is sit down and 
be comfortable.” He acted on his own sug- 
gestion. Hal looked for rescuers and found 
none. 

“Who do you suppose stole our oars?” he 
growled. 


162 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Em inclined to suspect Honest Bill Glass,” 
replied Jack, with a smile. “When a man 
begins by assuring you he’s honest it’s a good 
plan to look out for him. I suppose we ought 
to have been more careful, but nobody ever 
steals things around here — except some of the 
Portuguese now and then. I wonder if Bill 
went aboard the sloop. If he did he didn’t 
find much. He might take my slicker and the 
bedding in the cabin and a few cooking things, 
though.” 

“When we get back I mean to take a trip up 
the river and pay Bill Glass a visit,” declared 
Hal. “Even if we don’t find the things I’ll 
have the satisfaction of telling him what I 
think of him, the old pirate!” 

“We might find out when he’s away and then 
go up there and make a search,” suggested Bee. 
“Bill looks like a bad man to tackle.” 

“I’m not afraid of him,” declared Hal. “We 
— we’ve got the law on our side, too.” 

“Well, we ought to have some proof first,” 
said Jack. “Guess we’d better snoop around a 
bit before we say too much.” 

After that silence fell over the Corsair for a 
while. Then Bee hazarded the theory that the 


MAROONED! 


163 


Corsair was drifting away from shore and Jack 
untroubledly confirmed it. “ Breeze and tide 
both against us,” he said. “But somebody’s 
bound to be along pretty soon.” 

“ I hope so,” said Hal. “ I’m getting hungry.” 

Bee looked at his watch. “Most time for 
afternoon tea,” he agreed. “Look here, Jack, 
how would it do if we took turns swimming and 
pulling the launch after us?” 

“We might do that if we had a quarter of a 
mile or so, to go,” answered Jack, “but we’re a 
good two miles off shore now. We couldn’t do it, 
Bee. If she keeps on in the direction she’s 
going she may go aground on Hog Island after 
awhile.” 

“Hog Island!” exclaimed Hal, glancing across 
the blue waters to where a long, low stretch of 
brown rocks scantily crested with green showed to 
the south. “Why, that’s three miles from here, 
isn’t it?” 

“About that. But we’re drifting pretty fast. 
We ought to do it in a couple of hours, unless 
someone gives us a tow first.” 

“I don’t see that we’d be much better off 
there,” said Bee. “There’s nothing to eat 
on Hog Island, is there?” 


164 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Well, you might find some of those gull eggs 
you wanted to sample,” replied Jack with a 
smile. “Anyhow, it would be better than 
drifting around all night in this craft.” 

Hal shuddered. “It’s getting rougher, too,” 
he said. 

“Yes, the breeze is freshening a little. 
Maybe, though, it’ll work around to the east- 
ward toward sunset. If it does we stand a show 
to drift on shore farther down the coast. Kind 
of funny there are no boats around today.” 

“I suppose if we didn’t want one the place 
would be full of them,” said Hal disgustedly. 
“We’re opposite the island now, Jack.” 

“Yes, this breeze is sending us along fairly 
well. Ever think of having a small mast, Hal, 
so you could sail her if you had to?” 

“No, but I believe I will — if I ever get back. 
I’ve seen them on launches.” 

“They’re handy at times,” agreed Jack. 

The conversation dwindled again. Presently 
Jack went to the wheel and turned the rudder 
hard aport, as he did so looking ahead at Hog 
Island, which was already perceptibly nearer. 

“If we had that boat-hook,” he remarked, 
“we might set up a distress signal. As it is, 


MAROONED! 


165 


I don't see how we can. I guess the best thing 
is to try and make Hog Island. That's land, 
anyway. And there used to be a little stone hut 
there, although I believe the roof was gone when 
I saw it last. Years ago they used to go out to 
the island and gather kelp and some of the men 
built a hut to sleep in in case a blow came up." 

“You don't happen to know of an island 
around here that has a hotel on it, do you?" 
asked Bee plaintively. "I'd just dearly love a 
thick steak and a baked potato and — " 

“Cut it out!" groaned Hal. “If you can't 
talk sense, Bee, keep still. You evidently think 
this is a joke!" 

“There's a schooner," exclaimed Jack, “but 
I guess she's headed down the coast. See her? 
She's just come around the Head?" 

The others looked in the direction of Jack's 
finger and saw her. But when she had caught 
the breeze she pointed her nose to the south- 
west and grew smaller. The sun was nearing 
the hills to the west and the long beams fell 
across the water dazzlingly. The breeze 
strengthened and the surface became more 
choppy, the Corsair dipping and tossing as she 
drifted seaward. 


166 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Do you think we’ll make Hog Island? 
asked Hal anxiously after awhile. 

“Looks now as though we’d either bump into 
it or go by just inside,” answered Jack. “If we 
get within a hundred yards or so I guess we 
can make it. How are you at swimming, 
Hal?” 

“I once swam sixty strokes,” replied Hal with 
a smile, “but it nearly did me up!” 

if And lived right on the ocean all your life!” 
marvelled Bee. “Thunder! Why, I never saw 
anything bigger than a mill-pond when I was a 
kid and I’ve swam — swum — swimmed — say, 
which is it, anyway? — swammed a half a mile 
lots of times.” 

“Then,” said Jack, “as it looks now as if we’d 
pass the island if the Corsair’s let alone, you and 
I may have to go overboard and try towing, 
suppose we get our clothes off, Bee.” 

Twenty minutes later it was certain that the 
launch, left to her own devices, would pass 
inside Hog Island and continue out to sea. 
Jack watched the end of the rock draw abreast 
some seventy or eighty yards away. About 
midway of its length a small promontory 
jutted out on the shoreward side, and just before 


MAROONED! 


167 


the Corsair drew even with this Jack gave the 
word and plunged overboard, slicing down into 
the green water in a beautiful dive and reappear- 
ing at the nose of the launch, shaking the drops 
from his eyes. Bee tried to emulate that dive, 
but his disappearance w^as more of a splash, 
and when he came up he was sputtering wildly. 
However, Bee could swim if he wasn’t a master 
of the art of diving, and when he laid hold of one 
side of the rope and Jack took a grip farther 
ahead and they struck out the Corsair , obedi- 
ently, if slowly, swung her nose toward the island. 
Once started she seemed glad to seek port, and in 
a few minutes Jack was carefully seeking foot- 
hold on the ledge. 

“ You’d better stay in the water, Bee, until I 
find a place to land. These rocks are terribly 
sharp. Pull on the line some more. That’s 
enough. Heave your anchor over, Hal. Does 
she hold? Good enough. Now, Bee, we’ll pull 
her in over this way so Hal can step ashore.” 

Five minutes later the Corsair was anchored 
in the protection of the little promontory, with 
the line from the bow tied to a rock on shore, 
and Bee and Jack, dried by the breeze, were 
getting into their clothes again. Hal waited 


168 


PARTNERS THREE 


for them, gazing the while disconsolately across 
two miles of water to where Greenhaven Neck 
stretched itself against the coppery glow of the 
sunset. As he looked, the light on Popple Head 
began its vigil and a weak white gleam reached 
him as the revolving rays pointed eastward. 
Hal heartily wished himself on the mainland just 
then. 

“Now,” said Jack, buttoning his jacket 
across his chest and shivering a little, “we’ll 
see if that hut is still here.” 

Hog Island was only a long and narrow reef, 
the highest point of which lay at high tide 
scarcely ten or twelve feet above the water. 
The broadest place was at the northern end, and 
here, under the lea of a ledge, the boys found 
the stone hut. It was a rough structure at the 
best, the builders having possessed, it seemed, 
but little skill in masonry, but the walls were 
rain-proof and, perhaps, wind-proof, and had 
there been a roof overhead it would have made a 
very acceptable shelter. A few loose planks, 
heavy enough to have withstood the gales, still 
rested across the top of the four walls, and these 
the boys shifted until they were side by side at 
the back. Other planks, of oak and apparently 


MAROONED! 


169 


at one time parts of a ship’s hull, were scattered 
nearby, and it took the three but a few minutes 
to lift them back to their places. Smaller 
pieces of driftwood, gathered from between the 
ledges, were laid over the interstices and the 
shipwrecked mariners viewed the result with 
elation. 

“Now it may rain if it wants to,” said Hal. 

“It won’t rain,” said Jack, “but it’s going to 
blow some harder before morning.” He held 
his hand up and wriggled his fingers, finally 
rubbing them together. 

“Blessed if he isn’t feeling of the weather, 
Hal!” laughed Bee. “Can you tell what it’s 
going to do that way, Jack?” 

Jack smiled. “I don’t suppose I can,” he 
replied. “Not really, that is. But sometimes 
I think I can. It’s a trick I caught from my 
father. He could tell what the weather was 
going to be two days ahead. Now we’d better 
hustle around and build a fire; two fires, in 
fact. We’ll build one about the middle of the 
island, on the highest point, as a signal, and we’ll 
have one here near the door of our castle to keep 
us warm. I hope there’s plenty of driftwood. 
If there isn’t we may have to burn our roof up.” 


170 


PARTNERS THREE 


By this time it was twilight and Popple Head 
Light glared across at them at intervals as though 
trying to make out what they were up to. There 
was plenty of small wood above high-water line, 
left there by the winter gales, and soon a good- 
sized beacon was blazing. 

“ I don’t know whether anyone w T ill see that or 
know what it means if they do see it,” said 
Jack, “but it’s w^orth trying. Now we’ll pile 
some more wood here so we can keep it going 
until bedtime and then we’ll carry some back to 
the hut.” 

By the time the second fire was lighted the boys 
were ready to sit down and rest. The flames 
threw a ruddy light into the little hut and the 
three seated themselves just inside the door- 
way, out of the wind, which was now blowing 
sharply from the northeast, and discussed their 
chances of being rescued. 

“If Captain Horace sees that,” said Jack, 
“he may send out to see what’s up. The 
trouble is, though, that in the summer campers 
come out here sometimes, and he might think 
we were campers.” 

“Who’s Captain Horace?” asked Hal. 

“Captain Horace Tucker. He keeps the 
light. He’s a sort of uncle of mine.” 



Marooned. 


(Partners Three) 


(Chapter 13) 

































































































MAROONED! 


171 


“I wouldn’t care a bit if I only had some- 
thing to eat/’ sighed Bee. “I think it’s rather 
jolly out here; this hut and the fire and — and 
all; but I surely would like to see a large, juicy 
sirloin steak walk around the corner!” 

“How about gull eggs, Jack?” asked Hal. 
“Would they be any good?” 

“Well, maybe they’d taste better than nothing 
in the morning, but I don’t believe we’re hungry 
enough to eat them yet. They’re pretty strong, 
Hal. Besides, I didn’t see any nests, did you?” 

“No, but I wasn’t looking for them.” 

“Well, I was, and I didn’t see one. Maybe 
in the morning, when it’s lighter, we can come 
across some. I have an idea, though, that 
gulls lay their eggs a good deal earlier than 
this.” 

“Couldn’t eat a gull, could we?” asked Bee 
hopefully. 

“No, not unless we were actually starving,” 
laughed Jack. “Then we’d get about the same 
effect by soaking our belts in salt water and 
eating those. By the way, Hal, have you any 
fishing tackle on the launch?” 

“Not a thing — ” began Hal. But Bee inter- 
rupted. 


172 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Sure we have, Hal! We stowed our lines 
and hooks in the stem closet this morning, don’t 
you remember?” 

“The ‘ stern closet’ is good, Bee,” Jack 
laughed. “Well, that means we may have some 
breakfast if someone doesn’t take us off before.” 

“Maybe old Honest Bill Glass swiped those 
things too,” said Hal. 

“How could he when we used them this 
morning?” demanded Bee. “ Don’t be a chump, 
old Hal! But say, Jack, we haven’t any bait. 
There was just a little left and I threw it away.” 

“Mussels will do,” replied Jack. “Of course 
I don’t promise we’ll catch anything; sometimes 
you just simply can’t when you need to very 
badly; but we’ll have a try. And you don’t 
feel quite so hungry now if you know there’s 
a breakfast coming later.” 

Bee sighed dolefully. “I’d swap that break- 
fast gladly for a light supper,” he said. “Let’s 
go to sleep, fellows. Maybe we can forget we’re 
starving to death.” 

But they didn’t retire quite yet. The signal 
fire had to be replenished first and they all 
stumbled back to it over the rocks and threw 
more wood on, sending the crimson sparks flying 


MAROONED! 


173 


far on the wind. Across the dark water the 
lights on Greenhaven Neck gleamed faintly and 
the white eye of the light house seemed to follow 
them as they retraced their steps to the hut. 
They built up the fire at the doorway and then 
settled down for the night, lying side by side 
for warmth, against the more sheltered wall of 
the hut. For a while they talked, more and more 
drowsily every minute, with the sound of the 
waves and the whistle of the wind in their ears. 
But the day had been a busy one and all were 
thoroughly tired and presently one by one they 
dropped off to slumber. 






/ 


CHAPTER XIV 
Bill Glass To The Rescue 

Hal rolled over, yawning, and then opened his 
eyes and looked about him blankly. Through 
a doorway a glare of blue sea and golden sun- 
light smote his eyes. Where was he? He sat 
up and stared. Then recollection returned and 
he reached over and stirred Bee into wake- 
fulness. 

“ Where’s Jack?” he asked. “Wake up, you 
old lazy-bones! Where's Jack got to?” 

In turn Bee gazed uncomprehendingly at the 
rough walls and ceiling of this strange bed- 
chamber and then turned sleepy eyes toward 
Hal. “Hello,” he muttered. “Is it break- 
fast time? Where are we?” 

“We're on Hog Island,” replied Hal, “and 
you can bet it's breakfast time all right, only I'm 
not sure about the breakfast. I wonder if that's 
where Jack's gone.” 

“To breakfast?” Bee sat up suddenly, blink- 
ing. “Where is it?” 


176 


PARTNERS THREE 


“It’s in the ocean, I guess. Maybe Jack’s 
gone fishing.” 

Hal got up stiffly and went outside. Bee, 
still blinking in the glare, presently followed him. 
Sure enough, there was Jack in the stern of the 
Corsair with two lines over the side. Hal sent 
a hail and Jack looked up and waved. 

“I’ve got four perch,” he shouted. “I’ll be 
back in a few minutes. Get the fire started. ” 

This they did, and then went down to the 
water and dabbed some on their faces. Some- 
how the thought of breakfast, now that 
they were up, didn’t appeal to them. It was 
was Bee who found the reason. 

“Gee,” he said, “I wish I could drink this 
stuff. I’m as thirsty as — as a sponge!” 

“That’s so,” said Hal. “I was wondering 
what the matter with me was. You don’t sup- 
pose there’s any rain water anywhere, do you?” 

“I don’t know. There are some pools up 
there. Let’s try them.” They did, but with 
disappointing results. All the water they 
tasted was too brackish to drink. They walked 
over to meet Jack, who was pulling the launch 
in toward the ledge. It was a wonderful sum- 
mer morning and the Neck lay green and beauti- 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 177 


ful across the blue sea. Afar off, a tiny speck 
beyond Popple Head and the white lighthouse, 
a lobsterman in a dory was visiting his traps. 
Seaward a schooner lay hull-down against the 
clear horizon. Aside from these the ocean was 
empty. Overhead a flock of gulls wheeled and 
mewed. Jack bore five small blue-perch when * 
he reached them. He was immensely proud of 
them, but Hal and Bee viewed them with scant 
enthusiasm. 

“I’d a heap rather have a drink of water,” 
muttered Bee. 

“I know,” Jack agreed. “Fm a bit thirsty 
too. However, we won’t have to stay here 
much longer. There’ll be schooners coming out 
of the harbor before long; power boats, too. 
One went by just as I got out of the hut, but I 
couldn’t make him hear or see. It wasn’t very 
light then. Did you start a fire?” 

“Yes,” Hal answered. 

“Then I’ll clean these and we’ll have break* 
fast. You won’t feel so thirsty after you’ve 
eaten something.” He looked toward the har- 
bor entrance and saw the lobsterman. “I won- 
der if we can make him see,” he muttered. 
“I’ll have a try, I guess.” He passed the fish 


178 


PARTNERS THREE 


to Bee and climbed back to where the remains of 
the beacon smouldered, but, although for the 
better part of ten minutes he waved his cap and, 
finally, his jacket, the lobsterman paid no heed. 
“The sun’s back of us,” explained Jack, giving 
up at last, “and I guess he can’t see me. Well, 
let’s cook breakfast.” 

The fish, although pretty bony, tasted good, 
after all, and Jack’s prophecy that they would 
feel less thirsty was verified. Afterwards they 
went to the top of the ledge and, seating them- 
selves comfortably, began the watch for a 
rescuer. 

But folks seemed unbelievably stupid today. 
One small schooner which came beating around 
Popple Head in the faint, flukey breeze from 
south, actually passed less than a half-mile 
away from them and the three castaways almost 
waved their arms off and shouted their lungs out 
in the endeavor to attract the attention of the 
four men visible on the schooner’s deck. They 
could see the man at the wheel plainly as he 
finally raised his hand and pointed toward the 
island, and they could see another man walk to 
the rail amidship and look across. But that 
was all that happened. Fifteen minutes later 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 179 


the schooner was making good headway toward 
Fort Point. 

“ She’s probably going hand-lining off Peter- 
boro’ Shoal / 7 mused Jack. 

“I hope they don’t catch a thing/’ mur- 
mured Hal disgustedly. 

“I hope they all fall overboard and are eaten 
by a shark/’ declared Bee. 

Jack laughed. “That shark wouldn’t have 
to have another meal for a month, would he?” 
he asked. “Here’s a motor boat coming down 
the shore, fellows. Let’s see if we can make 
him understand that we want to be rescued.” 

But they couldn’t. The motor boat, one of 
the stub-nosed, wide-beamed half-cabin crafts 
used by the Portuguese fisherman, was well over 
toward the shore, and, although once they 
thought one of the two occupants waved back 
at them, the boat never changed its course. 
Several schooners slipped out of the harbor and 
sailed southward, and once a big red-hulled salt 
bark appeared in convoy of a tug and dropped 
anchor off The Lump. But at ten o’clock the 
boys still adorned the grassy plateau on th^ ridge 
of Hog Island and still gazed shoreward with 
diminishing hope. The sun was beating down 


180 


PARTNERS THREE 


all too ardently now and they were actually 
suffering for want of water. Finally Jack, 
with a despairing shake of his head, arose and 
took a long look around him. There were many 
sails in sight, but all far away. 

“I guess, fellows, unless we can attract the 
attention of some boat on the outer side of the 
island it’s no good.” Jack nodded at the Cor- 
sair , swaying daintily about off the ledge below 
them, her neat varnished sides reflected waver- 
ingly in the water. “That’s what’s making the 
trouble. Folks see us waving and then catch 
sight of the launch and conclude that we’re a 
bunch of those idiotic campers amusing our- 
selves. If we could only hide the launch some 
way perhaps someone might come out to us. 
Anyway, it’s getting too hot here. Let’s get 
back to the shady side of the hut. We can see 
pretty nearly as much from there, I guess.” 

“I’d give everything I’ve got for a bucket of 
water,” said Bee sadly. “Even my third inter- 
est in the treasure.” 

“Hang that old treasure, anyhow,” exclaimed 
Hal. “If it wasn’t for that we wouldn’t be out 
here parching up with thirst. If I ever do get 
off this place I’m going home and stay there!” 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 181 

They made their way back to the hut and 
sank gratefully into the shade it afforded. Now 
and then Jack arose and climbed to a place 
where he could see the ocean on all sides, and it 
was on his return from one of these expeditions 
that he announced a scheme to rig up a signal 
of distress. “ We'll take the longest plank on 
the roof and set it up on top of the hut and tie 
something to it. I guess it will have to be your 
shirt, Hal; it’s nearer white than Bee’s or mine 
and can be seen plainer.” 

Hal made no objection to providing the signal 
and they set to work. The longest plank 
proved to be a heavy, worm-eaten piece of oak 
not over seven feet in length. They collected 
small rocks from nearby and tossed them to the 
roof of the hut. Then Hal gave up his negligee 
shirt, a white flannel one with a pin-stripe of pink, 
and Jack secured it to the plank by the simple 
expedient of knotting the sleeves about it. 
After which Jack climbed to the roof, the signal 
was passed up to him and he set the plank on end 
and piled the stones around it. When they drew 
off to view it, however, it did not seem especially 
successful, since the breeze was too light to much 
more than stir the shirt. Now and then it 


182 


PARTNERS THREE 


fluttered away from the plank in the semblance 
of a flag, but for the most part it hung quite 
limp and it seemed very doubtful that it would 
be noticed. 

“Well/’ said Jack, wiping the perspiration 
from his face, “it’s the best we can do. If the 
breeze would draw around into the east a little 
more I’d advise taking to the launch and trust- 
ing to being blown ashore. The tide’s setting 
in now, you see.” 

“Why not try it?” asked Hal. 

“Because with the wind as it is now we’d 
miss the island by a half-mile and keep on going 
all day, I guess. And we’d be pretty hot and 
miserable in that open launch with the sun beat- 
ing down on us for six or eight hours. We’re 
better off here in the shade.” 

There wasn’t much said for the next half- 
hour or so. Jack kept up his look-out, but 
nothing approached the island. Hal went to 
sleep and Bee closed his eyes and tried to follow 
suit. He had almost succeeded when Jack’s 
voice roused him. 

“ There’s a fellow in a dory making across from 
Eight-Fathom Cove,” said Jack eagerly. “He 
was going along shore at first, but now he’s 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 183 


turned and is headed straight this way. It 
looks as though he had seen our signal.” 

Bee had to have the dory pointed out to him, 
since the sunlight on the water dazzled his eyes. 
Then for a long time they watched the approach 
of the boat, without awakening Hal, each 
moment fearing to see the rower change his 
course. “He must be coming here, though,” 
Jack murmured half aloud. “There aren’t any 
traps out that far, and no nets. Maybe he’s 
coming out this way to fish. Let’s get up on the 
roof and wave, Bee. We’ll take turns, though. 
I’ll go first.” 

So Bee gave him a leg-up and he scrambled to 
the top of the hut and became a human sema- 
phore. Finally, just when his arms were get- 
ting thoroughly tired out, the single occupant of 
the dory, which was not a half-mile or so dis- 
tant, took off his hat and waved back. 

“He sees us!” cried Jack. “It’s all right, 
Bee. Here, I’ll take Hal’s shirt down. Wake 
him up and tell him to put it on. That chap 
will be here pretty soon.” 

“ What are you going to do when he gets here?” 
asked Hal, who, having been awakened and had 
the situation explained to him, was now sleepily 


184 


PARTNERS THREE 


struggling into his shirt. “I don't suppose he's 
got any gasoline with him.” 

“ Maybe he's got some water, though,” said 
Bee, longingly. 

“We can do either of two things,” replied 
Jack. “We can get into the dory, go ashore, 
get gasoline and come back here for the launch, 
or we can make a dicker with him to tow the 
launch across to the cove. I guess he will do 
it if we offer him some money.” 

By this time the dory was only a little way 
off. It had been green at one time, but most 
of the paint had departed. The man at the 
oars presented to view a broad back clad in a 
blue gingham shirt. On his head, in spite of the 
heat, was a felt hat. Jack gazed puzzledly for 
a moment. Then, 

“Well, I'll be blowed!” he exclaimed. “Who 
do you suppose it is, fellows?” 

“Not that old thieving pirate?” cried Hal. 

“That's what! Honest Bill Glass!” 

Hal bristled up immediately. “The old rob- 
ber! Wait till I talk to him!” 

“Don't do it!” begged Bee in alarm. “Don't 
get him mad, Hal, or he may turn back and 
leave us here. Wait until we get on shore. 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 185 


After that I don’t care what you say to him.” 

“ That’s good advice, Hal,” said Jack, with a 
smile. “ Better not get him peevish, I guess. 
Let’s go down there and talk to him.” 

Honest Bill Glass rowed his dory up to the 
side of the Corsair and looked her over. Then 
he turned to the boys on the edge of the rocks. 

“Mornin’, shipmates!” he boomed across. 
“Changed your camp, I see. I never heard 
tell, though, of any treasure on Hog Island.’’ 

“Our gasoline gave out yesterday afternoon,” 
replied Jack, “and the best we could do was 
make this island. We’ve been signalling ever 
since we got here and you’re the first to see us. 
Have you got any water aboard?” 

“Not a drop,” replied the man. “Thirsty, 
be ye?” 

“Just about dead,” said Jack. “Suppose 
you tow us across to Herrick’s Cove. We’ll 
all take a hand at the oars.” 

Bill Glass tipped his hat back and scratched 
his head reflectively, looking across at the 
mainland. Finally, “Seems to me you could 
have rowed that launch across there before 
this,” he said. “Got oars, I cal’ate, ain’t ye?” 

“The old scoundrel!” fumed Hal, none too 
quietly. “The old hypocrite!” 


186 


PARTNERS THREE 


“No, we lost our oars,” answered Jack 
patiently. “Someone took them out of the 
launch, we think, night before last. So I guess 
unless you’ll give us a tow we’ll have to stay 
here.” 

“Lost your oars, eh? I want to know! 
Well, mates, I’d like to take ye across, but it’s 
a long way over there and I be out fishin’. 
Tell ye what I’ll do, though. After I get through 
fishin’ I’ll come back here for ye. Time’s 
money to a poor man like I be, mates.” 

“We’ll pay you for your time and trouble, 
said Jack. We’ll give you two dollars to tow 
the launch across, and we’ll help row. How’s 
that?” 

“I’d like mighty well to oblige ye,” replied 
Bill Glass in his rumbling voice, “but two 
dollars won’t pay me for a day’s fishin’ lost, now 
will it? I leave it to you, mates.” He dipped 
his oars in the water. “Just ye wait till I be 
through fishin’ an’ I’ll come and fetch ye, sure 
as sure.” 

“Why, you old — ” began Hal. But Bee 
kicked him into silence. 

“Well, we’ll call it three dollars, then,” 
returned Jack easily. “That’s more than you’ll 
make fishing, I guess.” 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 187 


Bill had to consider that a long time. Finally, 
though, he replied. “It ain’t only time, mate; 
it’s the trouble too, ye see; an’ I be gettin’ oldish 
an’ ain’t so spry as I was. But Honest Bill 
Glass ain’t the kind to leave a shipmate in 
trouble. I always been one o’ the self-sacri- 
ficin’ kind, I have. So I’ll take ye across, ship- 
mates, for a dollar a head.” 

“All right,” said Jack. 

“An’ a dollar for the launch,” added Bill 
Glass. 

“Well — ” began Jack. 

“Cash in hand, mate. Mind ye, I ain’t 
doubtin’ your word, but business be business 
and it’s human natur to forget. Cash in hand, 
mates! a dollar a head an’ a dollar for the 
launch. All I’m seekin’ is just to square myself 
for a day’s catch, mates.” 

“I’d rather stay here and starve!” exclaimed 
Hal, passionately. “Four dollars when he’s 
stolen our oars and — and — ” 

“S-sh, he’ll hear you!” warned Bee. “Don’t 
be an idiot, Hal. What’s four dollars? I’d 
give twenty for a glass of water this minute! 
Tell him yes, Jack.” 

“ But have we got the money? He says he’s 
got to have cash.” 


188 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ I’ve got it. But tell him we’ll give him two 
dollars now and two dollars when he lands us 
in the cove. I don’t trust the old reprobate, 
Jack.” 

Bill agreed to those terms and in five minutes 
the boys were seated in the old dory and the 
Corsair was made fast behind it. Bill took up 
the oars and the journey began. “A gasoline 
boat,” observed Bill presently, “is a mighty 
uncertain thing, I cal’ate. There was a fellow 
by name of Sam Purley used to have one around 
here about ten years ago. ’Twant as handsome 
to look at as that one be, but it was a pretty good 
just the same. Well, one day Sam was out in 
her over by Tinker Ledge fishin’. Just such 
another day as this, it was, mates. An’ all of a 
twinkle — poof! — that there boat just bust into 
flames, Sam said. First thing he knowed she 
was scatterin’ gasoline all over the place an’ 
Sam he got his share. Only thing he could do 
was jump overboard, vhich he did. No one 
ever seed anything of die boat afterwards, but 
Sam he was picked up by a coal-barge and taken 
down to Portsmouth. Pretty badly burned he 
was, too.” Bill turned and looked specula- 
tively at the Corsair , bobbing along behind. 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 189 


“ All of ’em’s likely to act the same way, I cal’- 
ate. Uncertain, they be.” 

Later Bill reverted to the subject of the oars. 
“ Did I understand ye to say that your oars had 
been stolen?” he asked. 

“They certainly were,” replied Hal belliger- 
ently. 

“Sho!” Bill’s countenance expressed con- 
cern and innocence. The boys afterward 
agreed that an angel could have looked no more 
guileless than Bill Glass at that time. “Left 
’em in the boat, did ye?” 

“Yes, they were in one of the long lockers,” 
replied Jack. “We think someone took them 
night before last.” 

“Also a boat-hook and a compass and a fog- 
horn and two lanterns and sixty feet of new 
rope!” added Hal angrily. “And I guess I 
know who got them, too,” he added mean- 
ingly. 

Bill met his gaze unflinchingly. “I want to 
know! Compass an’ fog-horn an’ boat-hook, 
too! Well, well! I’m surprised, I be. Tain’t 
often anything’s stolen around these parts. 
We be pretty honest, we Greenhaven folks. 
But them Portigees, you can’t trust ’em, 


190 


PARTNERS THREE 


mates. They'd steal the wig off a bald-headed 
schoolmar'm. They'll take most anything, they 
will. If I was you I'd keep things locked up. 
It's pretty lonesome around Nobody's an' them 
Portigee fellows is forever sneakin around 
lookin' for something to steal." 

“ We're going to keep things locked after 
this," said Jack, “but that doesn't help bring 
the other things back." 

“Well, you said you knowed who'd taken 'em. 
Cal’ate you might get 'em back, mate. If I 
was you I'd go straight up to 'em and say I 
knowed they had 'em. Like as not they'd 
give up." 

“We're going to the police," said Hal ex- 
plosively. “That's what we're going to do. 
And we mean to get those things back. " 

Bill nodded reflectively. “Well, that's one 
way, and I ain't saying it's a bad way. Only 
thing is, mates, by the time them police officers 
gets started the fellow that's got your gear may 
have hid it or sold it. Things like compasses 
an' such sell like hot cakes. Well, I surely 
hope you get 'em back, mates. An' here we 
be at our destination an' all flags flyin'. I cal- 
'ate you'll be goin' back to the island tonight, 
mates. " 


BILL GLASS TO THE RESCUE 191 


“I think so / 7 replied Jack. “In fact, I know 
we shall.” 

“Ain’t found that treasure yet, I cal’ate?” 

“Not yet. Just row up to the spiling, please. 
That’s it. Much obliged. And here’s the rest 
of the money we owe you. ” 

“Much obliged to you, mates. Any time you 
want a service done just you call on Honest Bill 
Glass. Always glad to oblige, I be. Wish you 
luck, mates!” 

From the Corsair , made fast to one of the spiles 
in Herrick’s Cove, the three boys watched Bill 
Glass row off around the point. Jack grinned. 
“He’s a jolly old villain, isn’t he?” he asked. 

“Yes,” replied Bee. “And I wonder if he 
really did swipe those things. He looked so 
confounded innocent all the time!” 

“Swipe them! Of course he swiped them!” 
exploded Hal. “I’ll bet you anything we’ve 
only got to go up to his cabin to find them. And 
I mean to do it, too! And if you fellows won’t 
come along I’ll go alone!” 



CHAPTER XV 
A Voyage of Discovery 


Aunt Mercy and Faith were surprised to see 
them, surprised and pleased, too. And when, 
after they had drank all the water they wanted — 
which, by the way, took some time — she heard 
their account of the recent adventure. Aunt Mercy 
had quite a few remarks to make regarding fool- 
hardiness. The boys listened very meekly, 
for, although the scolding was addressed to 
Jack, the others understood quite well that they 
were included in the audience, and waited for 
the squall to blow over. 

“ Hmph ! ” said Aunt Mercy finally. “ Hmph ! 
Now I suppose you’re ’most starved to death, 
ain’t you? ” 

“A — little hungry,” replied Hal. “But it 
doesn’t matter.” 

“Of course it matters!” snapped Aunt Mercy. 
“Gracious goodness, how the boy talks! No 
victuals since yesterday noon — *’ 


194 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ We had a fish and a third apiece this morn- 
ing / 7 ventured Bee. 

Aunt Mercy sniffed her contempt. No “ vict- 
uals since yesterday noon/’ she repeated, “and 
now he says it doesn’t matter! Faith, why don’t 
you tell Susan to hurry dinner instead of sitting 
there with your mouth open and your eyes like 
saucers? And you’d better tell her to cook two 
or three slices of ham — ” 

There was an involuntary groan from Bee. 

“What’s the matter?” asked Aunt Mercy. 

“N-no thing, ma’am. Could I have another 
drink of water?” 

“Hm; maybe she’d better not cook the ham,” 
said Aunt Mercy as she watched Bee hurry to- 
ward the big silver pitcher. “Tell her to cut 
some of the cold beef.” And when Faith had 
hurried out to the kitchen, “ Now, I hope, you’ve 
all had enough of camping out, ” she continued. 
“If you all insist on getting yourselves drowned, 
why, you can do it right here in the cove. I 
guess the water’s deep enough there. ” 

Hal looked doubtful, but Bee declared stoutly 
that they were having a dandy time and weren’t 
thinking yet of leaving the island. When Aunt 
Mercy appealed to Jack the latter disclaimed 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 195 


all responsibility. “You see, Aunt Mercy,” he 
said with a smile, “I’m hired out to Bee for a 
week, and I have to do just as he says. ” 

Aunt Mercy said “Hmph!” again and de- 
clared that she washed her hands of the “ whole 
kit and kaboodle” of them. Whereupon she 
too departed for the kitchen to see about dinner. 

“ What’s a ‘kit and kaboodle’?” asked Bee 
anxiously. 

“I don’t know,” answered Jack, “but it’s 
something Aunt Mercy’s acquainted with. Don’t 
worry, though; she isn’t really angry; that’s 
just her way. Wait until you see the dinner 
she’ll give us!” 

They waited and they saw. It was a won- 
derful repast. Bee and Hal still talk of that 
dinner with enthusiasm. They each declare that 
it was the best they ever ate. There was picked- 
up codfish and cold roast-beef and baked 
potatoes and string beans and crab-apple jelly 
and much home-made bread, still warm from the 
oven, and big bowls of blueberries and many, 
many slices of spice cake. And they ate it all 
and finished up with a pan of chocolate fudge 
that Faith had made the evening before. It 
was really w r orth while being nearly starved to 


196 PARTNERS THREE 

have such appetites as they had and be able to 
satisfy them! 

At two Jack took a wheelbarrow and went to 
the store and brought back a five-gallon can of 
gasoline. Then they embarked again in the 
Corsair and chugged across the harbor to the 
town landing. Jack saw to the purchase of 
more gasoline, Hal made a hurried visit to his 
home and Bee wandered off to buy oars, boat- 
hook and provisions. At a little after four 
they cast off again and began their return to 
Nobody’s Island. Bee proudly displayed a 
brand new spade and Hal observed it without 
much favor. 

“What’s that for?” he asked. “Haven’t we 
got a shovel already? 

“Yes, but now we can all work at the same 
time, replied Bee. “One of us can use the pick 
and the others can shovel. ” 

“Gee, you think of the foolest schemes!” 
grunted Hal. “Don’t you ever have any pleas- 
ant thoughts? ” 

The return voyage was quite uneventful. 
The Corsair dipped and rolled along as though she 
had never caused a moment’s uneasiness to anyone. 
Everything about the camp seemed the same as 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 197 


when they had left but Jack rowed out to the 
Crystal Spring to make certain that thieves had 
not visited her too. When he came back he 
reported all correct on board. “They wouldn’t 
have found much, anyway,” he said, “but I’d 
rather they let things alone.” 

Bee went down to look at the excavations and, 
had he received the least encouragement, would 
have started work again. But Jack and Hal 
were satisfied to lie in the sun and wait for it to 
come time to start supper. “It’s funny,” said 
Hal, “but in spite of all that dinner I ate I'm 
pretty nearly starved again!” 

When Bee joined them he was again full of 
the subject of treasure hunting and tried to ex- 
plain just what they were to do the next morn- 
ing. But the others were decidedly unsym- 
pathetic. “Don’t talk digging tonight, Bee,” 
begged Hal. “After what we’ve been through 
we deserve perfect rest for at least twelve hours. 
It’s terribly wearing to be cast away on a desert 
island. Say, do you fellows smell anything?” 

They sniffed and decided that they did. 

“Smells like something gone dead,” said Bee. 
“I think it’s in the tent.” 

Hal disappeared to investigate and presently 


198 


PARTNERS THREE 


returned with the fish they had caught the morn- 
ing before held at arm’s length in front of him. 
“ Something has gone dead,” he announced with 
averted head. “I think I’ll bury them in the 
trench. ” 

“ You’ll do nothing of the sort,” exclaimed 
Bee. “Take ’em down and throw them in the 
ocean. ” 

So Hal, with a groan, descended the hill and 
obeyed instructions. Jack asserted that he was 
too tired to cook much that evening and so they 
contented themselves with a can of tongue, 
bread and butter and tea and turned in early 
thoroughly wearied out. 

The next morning, a cloudy, muggy morning 
it was, Bee went back to his digging as soon as 
breakfast was over, and the others felt that they 
could do no less than help him. It was warm, 
back-breaking work and the only thing that re- 
warded their labors after the third trench had 
been completed was a blue-gray stone, in shape 
like an elongated egg, with a groove running 
around the middle of it. Bee declared that it 
was the head of an indian war club, but Jack 
said it was only a stone that had been worn by 
the water. Anyhow Bee added it to his col- 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 199 


lection. By that time it was nearly noon and 
Jack’s suggestion that they knock off work and 
take a swim met with instant agreement. The 
sea was smooth and oily and a cloud bank lay 
along the horizon. But the water was of just 
the proper temperature and they swam over to 
the Crystal Spring and dived off the deck and 
lazed around in the water and out until long 
after it was time to cook dinner. When, at 
last, a thick slice of steak was lifted from the 
frying-pan and apportioned amongst them they 
were so famished that Jack opened a can of baked 
beans and added that delicacy to the menu. 
Afterwards, Bee I think, wanted to dig again, 
but the repast had had its effect on even his 
enthusiasm and he joined Jack and Hal in their 
lazy efforts to hit the handle of the spade with 
stones from a distance of forty feet. It was 
while they were engaged in this amusement that 
Jack called their attention to a dory which had 
just come into sight around a bend of the river. 

“The pirate, ” said Bee. “Do you suppose 
he’s coming here?” 

“If he does,” said Hal grimly, “I’m going to 
hide everything we’ve got! I’m glad we had 
the sense to bring the oars and boat-hook up 
here with us yesterday. ” 


200 


PARTNERS THREE 


“We didn’t go down to see whether the anchor 
had been taken, though, ” said Bee. “Look, the 
old rascal is waving at us. ” 

Bill Glass was just rowing by the little wharf. 
Jack waved back to him. “He’s not going to 
honor us with a call, I guess. He’s got two lob- 
ster-pots in the stern and I suppose he’s going 
out to drop them somewhere. ” 

“I wonder where he stole them,” murmured 
Hal. “Have you missed a lobster-pot, Bee?” 

Bee patted his pockets gravely and shook 
his head. “No, I’ve got all mine,” he replied. 
They watched the man in the dory row out of 
the river and finally disappear around the Clinker. 

He’s probably going over to Eight-Fathom 
Cove,” said Jack. “That’s a great place for 
lobsters, or used to be. ” 

“Look here,” exclaimed Hal, “now’s our 
time!” 

“What for?” Bee queried. 

“To get our oars back, and the rest of the 
things. If we go up to the old pirate’s place 
and look around maybe we’ll find them. Let’s 
do it!” 

“Pshaw, if he took them he’s got them hidden 
away by this time where we’d never find them,” 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 201 


replied Bee, “ Maybe he’s sold them. Besides, 
how about our digging?” 

“ Digging!” cried Hal. “I want my oars and 
my compass and — ” 

“If we do go we’d better start pretty soon, 
advised Jack. “We don’t want him to come 
back and find us snooping around, I guess.” 

“All right,” agreed Bee. “Can we go in the 
launch? ” 

“ I think so. How much does she draw, Hal? ” 

“Less than a foot, I think. I’ll get the oars. 
Even if we don’t find anything it’ll be fun. I’ve 
always wanted to explore the river.” 

Five minutes later they were off, Jack at the 
wheel piloting the launch carefully over the 
sandbars that in places came nearly to the sur- 
face. Once or twice the Corsair scraped her 
keel and once they had to make their way through 
a patch of eel-grass and Jack told Hal to throw 
the clutch into neutral so the long green strands 
would not bind the propeller. They poled through 
the grass with an oar and went on again, the 
river narrowing every minute but growing no 
shallower. By the time they had followed the 
winding stream for a mile or so the banks on 
either side had become so high that it was only 


202 


PARTNERS THREE 


by craning their necks that they could see over 
them. The sun, although not actually visible, 
was filling the afternoon world with a golden 
haze and making itself felt if not seen. Here in 
the river, cut off from the breezes that slightly 
swayed the grasses on the edges of the banks, 
the heat w^as almost intolerable, while the mos-. 
quitoes, which hovered about the launch like a 
cloud, were, to use Bee’s phrase, blood-thirsty 
and ferocious. The Corsair had to proceed slow- 
ly and cautiously both because of the shallows 
and of the abrupt turns and the boys were be- 
ginning to despair of ever reaching their desti- 
nation when Jack, pointing ahead, called their 
attention to some rotting spiles standing on 
either side of the stream. 

“ There’s the old bridge,” he explained, “or 
what’s left of it.” There used to be a sort of a 
cart-road through here. Anybody that wanted 
to could cut the marsh hay in those days and 
there used to be lots of teams over here. Bill 
Glass’s place can’t be much further, for we’re 
almost up to the railroad, I think. Climb up 
there, Bee, and see what you can see, will you? ” 

Bee balanced himself on the forward decking, 
fighting mosquitoes, and gazed about him. “A 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 203 


house about a half-mile over that way,” he re- 
ported. “At least, it’s sort of a house. And 
one to our right, a small cabin; two of them; or 
maybe one’s a shed. ” 

“They can’t both be on the river, ’’objected 
Jack. 

“No, the first one’s away back, near the rail- 
road. The other one’s on the river, I think. 
I guess we’ll fetch it in a few minutes. It looks 
as if it mightbethepirate’s castle — or a pig-stye ! ” 

“ The other one is probably a Portugee shack, ” 
said Jack. “ There are several of them along the 
railroad. Any other cabin near Bill Glass’s?” 

“ Don’t see any. No, it’s the only one around. 
There’s a cluster of huts away down the track, 
but they’re a mile or more away. I guess we’ll 
get to Bill’s just around this turn, Jack. I 
don’t see how he lives here with all these mos- 
quitoes, tough as he is! 

“If a mosquito bit BiUfGlass,” growled Hall, 
“good-bye, mosquito.” 

The river — although it was^absurd to call it 
a river any longer since, as the Irishman put 
it, you could jump it in two jumps — broadened 
a little and the banks were lower; one could see 
across the broad expanse of salt-marsh and flats 


204 


PARTNERS THREE 


without straining one’s neck out of place. The 
Corsair chugged quietly and slowly around a 
long bend and suddenly two things happened; 
a heron — at least, Jack said it was a heron — 
took flight from the ledges with a startling beat- 
ing of wings, and a little wharf jutted out from 
the bank just ahead. 


CHAPTER XVI 
The House of Many Clocks 

It hardly deserved the name of wharf, for it 
was merely two planks supported on poles sunk 
in the sand, with a home-made ladder descend- 
ing to the water. A rusty chain and padlock 
hung from one of the poles. The Corsair stopped 
its sober chugging and Jack guided it up to 
the ladder. The wharf jutted out some six 
feet from the bank into what was practically 
a tiny basin. Beyond it the stream narrowed 
again and went twisting off out of sight behind 
low banks covered with grasses and rushes. 
Just at the turn a few cattails showed that the 
little basin was probably the limit of tide-water 
and that beyond the stream was fresh. The 
boys made fast the launch and quietly climbed 
the ladder to the ricketty landing. There was 
an old anchor up there and a battered tin can 
showing the remains of one or two defunct clams. 
A dozen feet from the bank stood the cabin, a 
small affair of drift-wood and old lumber, with 


206 


PARTNERS THREE 


a sagging door half open on its leather hinges, 
one small window and a roof variously covered 
with pieces of tin, sheet iron and tarred paper, 
from which a foot or so of stove pipe protruded. 
A few feet distant at the left was a still smaller 
structure, half hen-house and half shed. A 
few thin, wiry looking hens and a ridiculously 
long-legged rooster scratched about in the dirt 
outside. The shed open in front, held a motley 
collection of broken lobster-pots, spars, rigging 
and canvas. There was a chopping block there, 
with a hatchet sticking into it, and a pile of 
wood broken into stove lengths was stored in 
a corner. Between wharf and house lay a litter 
of planks, a lobster-pot, a rotting fish-net draped 
over a carpenter's horse, a number of cork floats, 
some empty tin cans, a pot of blue paint and a 
paint brush and, supported between the lobster- 
pot and the carpenter’s horse, a pair of oars, 
painted blue and still sticky to the touch. 

“ There they are!” exclaimed Hal triumphant- 
ly. “ What did I tell you? He’s gone and paint- 
ed them blue!” 

“Hm,” said Jack, “It would be pretty hard 
to identify them, wouldn’t it?” 

“ They’re just the same length and everything, ” 


(Partners Three) 


(Chapter 16) 











































THE HOUSE OF MANY CLOCKS 207 


asserted Hal stoutly. “ Of course they 're mine ! ” 

“ They’re yours if you say so and they’re 
his if he says so” said Bee judicially. “I guess 
he’s got ahead of us here, Hal. I don’t believe 
we’d have any right to take them. We never 
could prove they were the oars that were stolen 
from us.” 

“But — but — ” began Hal excitedly. 

“Let’s just look around a bit,” said Jack, 
“and see if we can find anything else that be- 
longs to you. We’d better not waste too much 
time, either. It’s probable, Honest William is 
off for the day, but there’s no telling.” He 
pushed open the door and stepped inside the 
cabin and the others followed. It was so dark 
in there that for a moment they could see nothing 
clearly and while they waited to accustom their 
eyes to the gloom there was a sudden clamor 
that sent their hearts into their throats and sent 
them tumbling over each other’s back through the 
doorway. 

Ding-ding , ding-ding , ding! Dong-dong , dong- 
dong , dong! Tink-tink , tink-tink , link! Ding-dang , 
ding-dang , ding! 

Ship’s-clocks, ” laughed Jack, “and dozens of 
them, from the noise! I guess they won’t hurt us. 
Come on. ” 


208 


PARTNERS THREE 


They stepped inside again just as the last 
clang died away, and Jack opened the door as 
far as it would go to afford more light. When 
they could finally see each of the boys gave ex- 
pression to his astonishment. 

“Gee!” exclaimed Bee. 

“Well!” cried Jack. 

Hal grunted. “ It’s a regular robber’s den,” 
he said. 

The cabin was perhaps fourteen feet one way 
by twelve the other. Under the window was a 
small table with the remains of a meal on it. 
In one corner was a cook-stove, with a cupboard 
above it in which stood cooking utensils and a 
few groceries. In another corner was a bed. 
Perhaps bunk would describe it better, for it 
was built against the two walls for all the world 
like a ship’s berth. There was a seaman’s 
chest near the stove, a rocking chair near the 
door and a stool by the table. The floor was 
partly hidden by pieces of oilcloth and scraps of 
carpets. The walls had been at some time covered 
with paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, col- 
ored pictures, but over the paper hung as re- 
markable a collection of objects as one is likely 
to find outside a museum. Ship’s-clocks — Bee 


THE HOUSE OF MANY CLOCKS 209 


counted fourteen of them later — and sextants, 
quadrants, spy-glasses, lanterns, barome ers, 
log-lines, rusty cutlasses and swords, a carbine 
or two and a flint lock musket, pictures of sail- 
ing vessels, flags and signals, brass rowlocks in 
bunches, a ship’s name-board bearing in faded 
gilt latters the inscription Susan T . Moody , the 
model of a full-rigged five-master in a glass case 
and, last of all, a parrot in a cage. It was Bee 
who first spied the parrot and tiptoed up to it. 

“ Hello, Polly,” he said softly. But Polly re- 
fused to even wink. “ Pretty Poll! Polly want 
a cracker?” The parrot regarded him fixedly 
with glassy eyes. 

“ What’s the matter with you? Can’t you 
talk?” asked Jack. “You look — Oh, shucks, 
fellows, it’s only a stuffed parrot!” 

“Wonder where he stole it,” said Hal, prod- 
ding it through the bars of the cage to make cer- 
tain that it was really not alive. Just then there 
was a noise behind them and the three turned 
startledly to see a big yellow cat emerge from 
beneath the stove, arching his back and blink- 
ing gravely across at them. 

“Gee, you scared me, pussy,” said Bee. 

“What’s yourname? Come over here and have 


210 


PARTNERS THREE 


your back rubbed, you old rascal.” The cat 
accepted the invitation, crossing the room to 
rub against their legs and purr ecstatically. 

“Nice old kitty, ” murmured Bee, scratching 
the cat’s neck. “Isn’t he a dandy, Hal?” 

“Yes, I wonder where he stole him,” replied 
Hal darkly. Jack laughed. 

“Hal, you haven’t a very good opinion of our 
friend Bill, have you? Well, there’s plenty of 
truck here, fellows, but I don’t see any compasses 
or fog-horns, although there’s a brass trumpet 
up there. If those are your oars out there, Hal, 
what do you suppose he did with the boat-hook? ” 
“And that new rope,” added Bee. 

“They’re here somewhere, I guess,” answered 
Hal, surveying the room again. “Maybe the 
rope’s in the shed. There was a lot there. ” 
The cat leaped to the table and began to lick 
one of the dishes. “That’s the way Bill gets 
his things washed up, I suppose, ” said Bee. “ I 
wonder if we couldn’t get a cat, fellows. It 
would save us a lot of bother!” 

“I’ll bet anything my compass and fog-horn 
are in that chest,” said Hal, eyeing it suspi- 
ciously. “I guess I’ll have a look.” 

“I wouldn’t” said Jack. “We haven’t any 


THE HOUSE OF MANY CLOCKS 211 


right in here really, and it wouldn’t be a very 
nice thing to do, Hal.” 

“But he stole my things!” Hal objected. 

“Maybe he did; I think so too; but I don’t 
like the idea of sneaking into a man’s house while 
he’s away and prying into his chest. We’ll have 
a look in the shed. Just hear those clocks tick, 
i Funny we didn’t notice them at first. He’s got 
i some dandies here, too. Look at this one, Hal. 
That must have cost sixty or seventy dollars. ” 

“Wonder where he — ” 

“If you say that again,” warned Bee, “I’ll 
: beat you. You’re worse than a parrot! Come 
on out to the shed and let’s see if we can’t find 
the boat-hook. ” 

“All right,” said Jack. “Old Bill may be 
back soon and we might as well get away before 
he comes.” 

“Wait a minute,” exclaimed Hal. “Look 
up there, fellows!” 

They followed the direction of Hal’s finger 
and saw a trap door that evidently opened into 
a space between the ceiling and the roof. 

“I’ll bet you anything,” said Hal eagerly, 
“that that’s where he hides his loot.” 

“What makes you think he plays a lute?” 
asked Bee flippantly. 


212 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I’m going up there, ” asserted Hal resolutely. 

“Better not,” counselled Jack. “Anyway, 
I don’t see how you can. There’s no ladder 
in sight.” 

“I don’t need any ladder. You fellows lift 
me up and I can push off that hatch and get 
through. I don’t believe it’s locked.” 

“I don’t like it,” said Jack. “After all, the 
things didn ’t cost very much, and you ’ve bought 
new oars and — ” 

“I don’t care if they only cost ten cents,” 
replied Hal doggedly. “They’re mine and I 
mean to have them if they’re there. If you 
fellows won’t help me I’ll go out and find a 
ladder; or I ’ll move the table under here and — ” 

“Don’t be a silly goat,” pleaded Bee. “If 
your things are up there the hatch is sure to be 
locked. Come on and be sensible. ” 

“It can’t be locked. There’s no lock there. 
Look for yourself. ” Hal measured the distance 
from floor to ceiling with his eye and looked 
speculatively at the table on which the yellow 
cat had curled himself up and was washing his 
face. “Anyhow, I mean to have a try at it and 
I think you fellows might give me a lift. If 
they were your things that were stolen I’d try 


THE HOUSE OF MANY CLOCKS 213 

to help you get them instead of siding with the 
thief!” 

1 “ Well — ” began Bee irresolutely. 

But just then a shadow darkened the doorway 
and, 

“Ho, mates,” said a deep gruff voice, “makin’ 
yourselves to home I see!” 







CHAPTER XVII 
The Invader's Retreat 

The three boys started guiltily and stared in 
consternation at the figure in the doorway, 
whose wide shoulders stretched almost from 
lintel to lintel. With the light behind him, it was 
impossible to see the face distinctly, but there 
was no mistaking that voice nor that figure. It 
was Bill Glass himself. Hal, courageous in the 
conviction of his wrongs, recovered first. 

“We were looking around/' he said with a 
suspicion of insolence that made Bee glance un- 
easily at the window. “You have so many in- 
teresting things here, Mr. Glass, and I 've been 
wondering where you — ” Bee made up his 
mind to sell his life dearly — “got them all.” 

Bee in his relief subsided in the rocking chair. 
Bill Glass entered the cabin with a rumbling 
chuckle that seemed to start at his shabby boots 
and grow in volume all the way up. 

“Interesting just the word, shipmate. Some 
o' them things could tell stories what would 


216 


PARTNERS THREE 


make them eyes o ’ yours stick plumb out o 9 your 
head if they could talk. Sit ye down, mates, 
sit ye down. Nice kind o 9 weather for the time 
o’ year.” 

“I guess we’ll be going,” said Jack carelessly, 
“We just thought we’d drop in. Not finding 
you at home, we took the liberty of looking 
around.” 

Bill nodded soberly. “Right you be, right 
you be. I thought maybe, though, you seen 
me goin’ out that time you waved to me.” 

“Oh, was that you in the dory?” asked Bee 
innocently. 

“ That was me, mate, but I cal ’ate you couldn ’t 
tell at that distance.” 

“ Oh, we knew you, ” said Hal rashly and rude- 
ly. “What’s more, we’re getting to know you 
better all the time. ” 

Bill Glass blinked untroubledly. “That’s 
right, mate. We be neighbors in a way o’ 
speakin’ an’ neighbors ought for to be friendly. 
I take it kind o’ ye to call, mates.” 

Jack couldn’t make up his mind whether the 
man was speaking sarcastically or not. “You — 
you’ve got a real cosey place here,” he 
murmured. 


THE INVADER’S RETREAT 217 


“It does well enough for a chap like I be,” 
agreed Bill. “Not much in the way o’ luxury, 
you see, but comfortable, comfortable. I ain’t 
a-sayin’ that I wouldn’t like a fine house on 
Church Hill, mates, an ’ a carriage to drive about 
in an’ servants to wait on me, but I be con- 
tented, I be contented. There’s many that 
lives in fine state an’ ain’t no happier’n I be; 
not so happy, likely. It’s a clean conscience, 
mates, as brings joy and happiness. Poor I be, 
but honest. That’s me, shipmates all, Honest 
BiU Glass.” 

“That’s a nice pair of oars you have out 
there,” said Hal with apparent irrelevancy. 

“Eh? Oh, them oars. Yes, they be a good 
pair. ” 

“I see you’ve just painted them,” Hal pur- 
sued in spite of the appealing glances of Bee 
and Jack. 

“Yes, I have to do that mates, so’s they won’t 
be taken by mistake. Them Portigees ain’t 
particular whose oars they row with. That’s 
why I likes to have ’em a distinguishin ’ color, 
so to speak. Now if you had had your oars 
painted mates, I guess maybe you wouldn’t have 
lost ’em.” 


218 


PARTNERS THREE 


“We didn’t lose them; they were stolen from 
us,” replied Hal sharply. 

“But what,” interposed Jack hurriedly, 
is to keep anyone from painting them over 
another color?” 

“Well, they might, an’ that’s a fact, but 
they ain’t so likely to. Haven’t found your 
oars yet, have ye?” 

“No, not yet,” Jack replied. “We haven’t 
had time to look around much. ” 

“We know where they are, though,” said 
Hal meaningly. “I guess we won’t have to 
look very far for them.” 

“I want to know! Well, I was thinkin’ as 
how maybe you ’d like to buy a good pair. That 
pair there might suit ye an’ I ’d let ’em go right 
down cheap; say two dollars to you, mates.” 

Hal grew so red in the face that Bee feared 
results and so jumped to his feet. “Let’s — 
let’s go out and look at them,” he stammered 
nervously. 

“We’ve got a new pair,” exploded Hal, 
“and I wouldn’t buy those from you, anyway, 
you — you — ” 

“That’s so,” cried Jack hurriedly. “We 
bought a pair yesterday. You see, we went to 


THE INVADER’S RETREAT 219 


town after you left us. We bought a boat-hook 
too, and — and other things. ” 

“Did ye now?” asked Bill regretfully. “I 
wish I’d known ye was intendin’ to buy. I 
could have sold you oars cheap. An’ I’ve got 
a boat-hook ye might have had too. ” He blinked 
benevolently as he followed them outside. The 
sun had appeared at last and the mist was roll- 
ing inland across the marsh. Hal, almost chok- 
ing with repressed emotion, was dragged aside 
by Jack. 

“ Don ’t be silly, ” begged the latter. “ There ’s 
no use in getting the old chap down on us. 
There’s no telling what he might do; set fire 
to the sloop, perhaps, or steal the launch. It 
doesn’t do any good, Hal. ” 

“Oh, all right,” muttered Hal, “but those are 
my oars, and he knows it! And you heard 
what he just said about the boat-hook!” 

“Yes, but it may not be yours, and — ” 

“It is mine!” He turned suddenly toward 
Bill Glass. “Say, I might buy that boat-hook 
if you don’t want too much for it. May I 
have a look at it? ” 

“Cert’nly! Cert’nly!” Bill walked over to 
the shed and fumbled for a moment amongst a 
pile of stuff on the rafters. 


220 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I’ll know it in a minute if it’s mine,” whis- 
pered Hal. “It was brand new and — ” 

“Here ye be, mate.” Bill Glass came back 
with the article in his hands. “Pretty nigh as 
good as new it be, too.” 

Jack and Bee grinned at the expression of sur- 
prise and disappointment that overspread Hal’s 
countenance as he looked at the boat-hook. 
It was weather-stained to the hue of an old fence- 
post and the brass hook on the end was covered 
deep with verdigris. Jack thought that Bill 
Glass had a mocking twinkle in his good eye as 
he offered the implement for inspection. Hal, 
however, took one disgusted look at it and waved 
it away. 

“I don’t want it, ” he said ungraciously. “It 
isn’t the one — I mean it’s too old. Come on 
fellows!” 

“Fifty cents takes it,” urged Bill. “It’s a 
bargain, mate. ” 

But Hal was marching straight for the wharf 
and Bee and Jack followed perforce. Bill Glass 
ambled along behind, boat-hook in hand. He 
watched silently while Jack unfastened the paint- 
er and Hal kicked the switch on angrily and 
twirled the fly-wheel over. Then, with the en- 
gine running, he remarked: 


THE INVADER’S RETREAT 221 

“Cute things, they be, them motor-boats. 
Times I think I ’ll have to get me one, mates. ” 

“Great Scott !” exclaimed Bee involuntarily. 
Luckily the humming of the engine partially 
drowned his voice. Hal threw the lever forward 
and the Corsair made a rush across the little 
basin as though determined to climb the further 
bank. 

“Hey!” bawled Jack at the wheel. “Whoa, 
for the love of mud!” 

Hal made a clutch at the throttle with one 
hand and pulled back the lever with the other 
just in time. Jack, scampering across the little 
decking forward, tried to fend the boat off the 
bank with his feet, but the momentum buried 
her nose a foot deep in the mud and sand. 

“Reverse her slowly, Hal!” he called. Hal, 
completely flustered by this time, threw the 
lever forward again. The propeller churned 
wildly and the Corsair dug further into the bank. 

“Don’t cal’ate,” observed Bill Glass mildly 
from the wharf, “you can go much further in 
that direction, mates.” 

Hal finally got the lever at reverse and, after 
a moment’s struggle, the Corsair backed out 
into the pool. Jack spun the wheel, Bee fended 


222 


PARTNERS THREE 


the launch away from the wharf and at last she 
was straightened out. “ All right,” called Jack. 
“Let her go!” 

The launch poked her nose down-stream and 
Bill Glass w r aved politely with a big brown hand. 
“Come again, mates,” he rumbled, “come again. 
If I ain’t here, just make yourselves to home!” 


CHAPTER XVIII 
Bee Finds A New Clue 

For a quarter of a mile there was little con- 
versation aboard the Corsair . Hal, very red 
in the face, slathered oil right and left, a certain 
sign nowadays of mental unrest, while Jack 
piloted the launch and Bee, able seaman that 
he was, sat in the waist, hands in pockets, and 
whistled softly. At last, however, Hal burst 
forth. 

“That wasn’t my boat-hook,” he declared 
angrily, “but he’s got mine, all right, the old 
robber!” 

Bee smiled. “Do you know, fellows, I’m 
sort of getting to like Bill. He’s got a sense of 
humor, hasn’t he? That was a nice delicate 
touch of his when he brought out the wrong boat- 
hook!” 

“Huh!” grunted Hal disgustedly. 

When they reached Nobody’s Island Hal 
insisted on carrying away from the launch and 
the dory everything removable and would have 


224 


PARTNERS THREE 


taken the rudder-wheel off had not Jack pointed 
out the difficulty of re-attaching the wire rope. 
When they reached the tent Hal gave an 
exclamation of triumph. 

“ There!” he proclaimed. “I guess Fm not 
such an idiot as you fellows think! Somebody's 
been here since we left. Look at those boxes. 
We didn't leave them that way." 

“ That's so," acknowledged Jack. 

“ Here's a footmark that doesn’t belong to 
any of us, either," announced Bee, pointing to 
the imprint at the opening of the tent of a broad- 
soled shoe. “ Dollars to doughnuts, fellows, it 
was Honest Bill again." 

Jack began to laugh. “Well, that's rather a 
good one on us, isn’t it? he asked. “Wffiile we 
were ransacking Bill’s castle he came and paid 
us the same compliment!" 

Bee grinned delightedly. “ That's what ! Isn't 
he the funny old cut-up?" 

“I don't see any fun in it," grumbled Hal. 
“Instead of laughing your fool heads off you'd 
better see what he's stolen!" 

But after an examination of their belongings 
it was not apparent that anything was missing. 
Hal refused to believe such a thing possible for 


BEE FINDS A NEW CLUE 


225 


awhile, and when convinced declared that their 
visitor couldn’t have been Bill Glass. “He’d 
never have come here and not swiped something,” 
insisted Hal with deep conviction. “ It wouldn’t 
be like him.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Jack, “if he 
laid a trap for us, fellows. I dare say he wanted 
to see what we had here and thought that if we 
saw him going away we’d go up there to find Hal’s 
things. Then as soon as we’d gone he came 
back here and overhauled our truck. If he 
didn’t take anything it was probably because 
he didn’t find anything he wanted.” 

“Still,” objected Bee, “he did have some 
lobster-pots in his dory when we saw him and 
they weren’t there when he got back.” 

“That’s easy. He might have left them 
most anywhere. Maybe, for that matter, he 
really did put them down somewhere nearby. 
Anyhow, I’m pretty sure he meant us to leave 
camp awhile so that he could look about.” 

“He’s a regular old pirate, that’s what he 
is,” said Hal. “He must have robbed a ship- 
chandler’s to have got all that stuff he had up 
there.” 

“More likely to have picked the things up one 


226 


PARTNERS THREE 


at a time, just as he picked up your things,” 
said Jack. “Well, the only thing to do is to 
see that he doesn’t add any more of our property 
to his museum of antiquities. What I don’t 
understand is why he keeps all that truck. 
What does he want of fourteen or fifteen clocks 
and all those sextants? Why doesn’t he sell 
them and get money?” 

“ Perhaps,” suggested Bee, “he is a collector. 
That might explain a lot, for they say that when 
a man has the collecting bee in his bonnet he 
isn’t always too particular how he gets things. 
Maybe Honest Bill really is honest — according 
to his ideas!” 

“Well, they’re not mine,” grumbled Hal. 
“I don’t care about the value of the things he 
stole, but it makes me mad to have him get 
away with it! And to think of his having the 
cheek to offer to sell me my own oars!” 

“That was another delicate touch of humor,” 
laughed Bee. “I thought you were going to 
burst right up, Hal, when he said that!” 

“I’d like to punch his head,” said Hal. 

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t advise you to try it,” 
replied Jack grimly. “He could take the three 
of us and bump our heads together, I guess. 


BEE FINDS A NEW CLUE 


227 


He looks as strong as an ox. What are we 
going to have for supper, fellows? I'm getting 
hungry.” 

The next day began uneventfully. Bee 
insisted on digging, and after breakfast they 
started operations again. By eleven o'clock 
there were two more trenches along the hillside 
and the three boys were about tired out. They 
went in swimming before dinner, however, and 
discovered that they were not to weary to eat. 
It was a frightfully hot day and even Bee hadn't 
the heart to suggest more labor after the mid- 
day meal. Instead, he wandered off by him- 
self on a round of the island. He had begun to 
lose faith in the locality he had selected to dig 
in and was quite ready to start operations else- 
where if he could only decide on a new place. 
But one spot looked as likely to yield buried 
treasure as another. He strove to picture the 
island in Old Vemy's day, but try as he might 
he could not convince himself that the cabin 
had been located anywhere but on the side of 
the hill where they had dug. And yet they had 
already very thoroughly explored a territory 
some thirty feet by fifty without result and 
two more trenches would bring them as close 


228 


PARTNERS THREE 


to the beach as it seemed advisable to go. 
After that, then, the next step appeared to be 
to lengthen the trenches. But searching for buried 
treasure was beginning to lose its lure even for 
Bee, while as for the others, they were already 
exhibiting indications of mutiny. He sighed 
as he came back within sight of the camp. If 
only there was a little more certainty as to the 
existence of the treasure! 

Jack and Hal were fast asleep, stretched out 
on their beds, Jack snoring frankly and vigor- 
ously. Bee took a seat outside in the shade 
where a mere suggestion of breeze crept past 
him. From there he looked straight down- 
hill at the trenches which, with their mounds 
of upthrown earth between, looked unpleasantly 
like a row of graves on a battle-field! One 
consolation, he reflected, was that the farther 
down the hill they went the easier the digging 
became, and the next two trenches would be 
excavated in sand. His gaze wandered to the 
left and fell on the small, grotesquely-shaped 
tree that stood alone just above the beach at 
the beginning of the slope. The few leaves it 
bore hung dejectedly in the scorching heat. Bee 
experienced a feeling very much like sympathy 


BEE FINDS A NEW CLUE 


229 


for the tree when he thought of the winter 
storms it had stood up against all these years. 
“Plucky little thing,” he reflected. “I wonder 
what sort of a tree it is.” His vagrant curi- 
osity got the better of his disinclination to move 
and he arose and loitered down the slope through 
the blazing sunlight. The tree was scarcely four 
inches thick at the base of the trunk and its 
gnarled branches, the highest of which hardly 
topped Bee’s head, grew out at all sorts of 
impossible angles. The leaves were short and 
ovate and looked — Bee frowned — yes, they 
really did look like apple-tree leaves! He 
wished he knew more botany. Of course the 
tree couldn’t be an apple-tree, for what would 
an apple-tree be doing here? Perhaps, though, 
a bird might have dropped a seed or — yes, that 
was it! Jack had said that picnickers some- 
times came to the island. Probably years ago 
someone had thrown an apple core away. Bee 
studied the tree again. Somehow, it looked 
older than its size would indicate. Then he 
kicked away the sand and earth at the foot and 
found the remains of a larger trunk, so rotten 
that it crumbled into brown fragments under 
his shoe. So, then, there had been a bigger 


230 


PARTNERS THREE 


tree there at one time, he reflected. Perhaps 
a gale had blown it down. At all events, the 
present tree had grown from the trunk of the 
former. But was it really an apple-tree? If 
so the original tree might have been standing 
when Old Verny lived on the island. Perhaps 
he had planted it! And in that case — Bee felt 
a thrill of excitement! — why, in that case maybe 
the cabin had stood near the tree! What more 
likely than that Old Verny had planted the tree 
beside his house? Only — was it an apple-tree? 
Perhaps Jack or Hal would know. He hurried 
up the hill and awakened the astonished and 
protesting boys in the tent. 

“Wha — what’s the row?” asked Hal sleepily. 

“Do you know an apple-tree when you see 
one?” demanded Bee eagerly. 

“Do I know — Say, what sort of a joke is this? 
Why don’t you let a fellow alone?” 

“It isn’t a joke at all,” replied Bee earnestly. 
“Come on, you fellows, and look at the tree 
down there. I want to know if it’s an apple- 
tree.” 

“What if it is?” demanded Hal. “Aren’t 
any apples on it, are there?” 

“No, but if it’s really an apple tree it means 
that we’ve got a clue at last!” 


BEE FINDS A NEW CLUE 231 

“A clue? What sort of a clue?” asked Jack. 
“And suppose it's a pear tree?” 

“A clue to the location of the treasure. Come 
on, please!” 

They went, Hal mumbling that for his part 
he couldn’t tell an apple-tree from a hat-tree. 
But Jack had more acquaintance with the sub- 
ject and only had to look once at the tree to 
reach a decision. 

“It’s an apple-tree,” he declared. 

“Hurrah!” said Bee. 

“Tiger!” added Hal. “But what difference 
does it make whether it’s an apple tree or a 
pear tree or a — or a cauliflower?” 

“None.” 

“Then what’s all the shouting about? Why 
do we have to leave our perfectly good beds and 
streak down here in the sun with the ther- 
mometer at a thousand and twenty and look at 
a silly old tree? Hey?” 

“Come back into the shade and I’ll tell you,” 
replied Bee with a laugh at his chum’s disgust. 
“It’s like this,” he continued when they were 
in the lee of the tent. “If that’s an apple-tree 
it’s pretty certain that it didn’t grow there by 
accident; I mean without — er — human agency. 


232 


PARTNERS THREE 


Either it was planted or an apple core was tossed 
there or a seed was dropped. How old should 
you say that tree was, Jack?” 

“Oh, I don’t know; six years, ten years. 
It’s hard to say, Bee, because a tree in an 
exposed place like this grows very slowly. 
There’s a cedar near the old fort that they say 
is eighty-odd years old and it’s only about 
twelve feet high and the trunk is twisted around 
and around like a huge big rope.” 

“Well, say eight years?” 

“That’s safe, I think.” 

“All right. But that tree didn’t grow from 
a seed, fellows; it sprang up from the trunk of an 
older tree that was broken off or died down to 
the ground. The old tree looks to have been 
about a foot across. If you look you’ll find the 
stump of it yet. Now what I claim is that the 
old tree was either planted by Vemy or else 
sprang up from a seed he dropped there.” 

“But why Verny?” asked Hal skeptically. 
“Why not anyone else? Lot’s of people have 
camped out here before us, Bee.” 

“Because the older tree must have been at 
least thirty years old before it died, and I don’t 
believe many people came to this island that 
long ago. What do you say, Jack?” 


BEE FINDS A NEW CLUE 


233 


“I don’t believe they did. You think, then, 
that Old Verny — ” 

“ Planted that tree, or the seed of it, forty 
years or more ago, and that he planted it near 
his cabin! And just as soon as it gets a little 
cooler, fellows, that’s where we’re going to dig!” 


# 


CHAPTER XIX 
Bill Returns The Call 

They weighed the pros and cons of Bee’s 
theory for the better part of an hour. Hal 
advanced all the arguments he could think of 
against it, but Jack sided with Bee almost from 
the first. “I don’t say you’re right, Bee,” he 
stated, “but I do think it’s a pretty good theory. 
And as we haven’t anything better to go by we 
might as well grab the theory. If that tree was 
there when Old Verny lived here it’s fair to 
suppose that it was near the cabin; perhaps 
right alongside of it. And maybe when he 
buried his chest of treasure he buried it under 
the tree. I guess we’d all be mightily surprised 
if we found it there, though!” 

“It’s somewhere near the tree, anyway,” 
declared Bee with enthusiastic conviction. 

“Then,” asked Hal, “what about your theory 
that the cabin stood inside of the triangle you 
figured out?” 

“Well, the tree is only about twenty feet out 


236 


PARTNERS THREE 


of the triangle, and if the cabin stood to the left 
of the tree it would be practically inside it, you 
see. I wonder, now, which side of the cabin 
Old Verny would have planted a tree. That 
would have been on the west side.” 

“He’d have planted it on the south or east 
side, I would think,” said Jack. “But maybe 
he didn’t know much about such things. Then, 
too, the tree may have sprung up from a seed 
dropped by accident.” 

“I guess,” decided Bee, “we’d better assume 
that the tree was in front of the cabin, perhaps 
near the door. That would be the south side, 
where it would be sheltered pretty well from 
winds and would get lots of sunlight.” He 
looked down the slope and examined the ground. 
“It isn’t very steep right there, either.” 

“It’s pretty near high-water, though,” Hal 
objected. “In winter a storm would drive 
the waves almost into the cabin, wouldn’t they, 
Jack?” 

“N-no, I don’t believe the water ever gets 
up that high because, you see, Toller’s Rock 
jutting out there like that is a good deal of a 
protection. Still, it seems to me more likely 
that the cabin stood higher up.” 


BILL RETURNS THE CALL 237 


“Well, we’ll dig at the tree first,” said Bee, 
“and then we’ll-er-radiate out from it.” 

“I’m no silly radiator,” grumbled Hal. 
“Besides, I have blisters on my poor little 
paws.” 

“Any more excuses?” laughed Bee. 

“Well, I think we should have some fish for 
supper. Tell you what, you two; I’ll catch fish 
while you dig up the treasure. If I’m not here 
when you find it you won’t have to divide up 
with me; see? I’ll what - do - you - call - it - em- 
relinquish all claim to it, Bee. Do it for you 
in writing, if you like.” 

“No one can read your writing,” responded 
Bee unkindly. “And, anyhow, you’re going to 
stay right here and swing a pick.” 

When, finally, Bee’s impatience would brook 
no further delay and he gave the word to start 
work, the three descended to the scene of 
operations, shovels and pick in hand. Even 
Hal was slightly excited and plied his pick with 
a good will. The trunk of the old tree was 
uncovered and they found themselves digging 
through a veritable network of roots. It seemed 
as though the tree, unable to make its normal 
growth above ground, had determined to work 


238 


PARTNERS THREE 


off its natural energies below, for such a root- 
system as they encountered appeared quite out 
of proportion to the size of the tree. Bee ruled 
that the tree was not to be injured and was very 
indignant when Hal carelessly sent his pick 
squarely through a big root. Whereupon Hal 
declared that he didn’t pretend to be a fancy 
picker and that if Bee wasn’t satisfied with the 
way he was doing it he (Bee) could plaguey well 
do it himself! 

It took them over an hour to prove to their 
satisfaction — and disappointment — that the 
treasure was not concealed within three feet in 
any direction from the tree. Then, their enthus- 
iasm somewhat abated, they rested on their 
tools and considered what to do next. It was 
finally decided that they should dig a series of 
trenches up the slope, starting at the tree. 
Luckily there were few rocks thereabouts and 
the soil provided easier labor. They had just 
started on the first trench when Hal said: 

“There’s Bill the Pirate down there, fellows.” 

He was just swinging his dory up to the little 
wharf when they looked, and presently he 
appeared over the bank of the river with a 
bucket on his arm and headed toward them. 


BILL RETURNS THE CALL 239 


“Now what do you suppose he wants?” 
growled Hal. “And what’s he got in the pail?” 

“He’s probably returning your compass and 
fog-horn,” said Bee. “His conscience has 
troubled him.” 

But when Bill Glass drew near it became 
evident that the pail held not a compass and 
a fog-horn, but clams! 

“Howdy do, mates?” he greeted, coming to a 
stand and setting the pail down. “Thought 
maybe you’d like a few clams. I been diggin’ 
an’ got ’bout a bushel of ’em. Fond o’ clams, 
be ye?” 

“Very,” responded Jack politely. “How 
much are they?” 

“Oh, well, I won’t make no charge today. 
If you like ’em you just let me know an’ I’ll 
fetch some more some day an’ you can pay me 
for ’em. I usually gets thirty cents for that 
many.” 

“We’d rather pay for them, thank you,” 
said Hal stiffly. 

“You can’t,” replied Bill with a smile. 
“They ain’t for sale today. They be a present 
from a neighbor, mates. I’ll take ’em up and 
dump ’em somewheres so’s I can have the 


240 


PARTNERS THREE 


bucket.” But he didn’t start at once, after 
Bee and Jack had somewhat embarrassed^ 
thanked him, but stood looking at the excava- 
tions they had dug around the tree. That is, 
his good eye looked at the hole in the ground 
and his glass eye gazed dreamily out to sea. 

“I knowed you’d do that afore long,” he 
observed presently. 

“Do w T hat?” demanded Hal truculently. 

“Dig by the tree. They most of ’em does. 
I did myself, mates. Just the same, I wouldn’t 
been surprised if you’d missed it, cause the old 
tree blowed down ’bout ten years ago an’ this 
one ain’t never made much of a showin’.” 

“Oh!” said Bee. “Then — then this has been 
dug up before?” 

“Lots o’ times, mate. It’s what you might 
call a fav’rite spot. Ain’t found much, I cal’- 
ate.” 

“Nothing yet,” responded Bee, with a 
sigh. “We thought that probably the old tree 
stood near the cabin.” 

“Maybe, maybe; I don’t seem to remember 
it.” 

“Seems to me it’s mighty funny,” observed 


BILL RETURNS THE CALL 241 

Hal, “ that you don’t remember where the cabin 
stood if you were around here then.” 

“I was a youngster then,” replied Bill, “an’ 
forty year’s a long time, mate. Then, too, 
my memory ain’t what it used to be.” 

“But don’t you recall whether the cabin was 
on this side of the island?” asked Bee. 

“Well, I’m nigh on to certain it wa’n’t on any 
other side,” replied Bill Glass reflectively. 

“Then it must have been on this side,” con- 
cluded Bee eagerly. 

“ ’Tain’t unlikely, ’tain’t unlikely, mate. 
Have you found your oars an’ things yet what 
was stolen from ye?” 

“Not yet,” answered Jack, with an appre- 
hensive glance at Hal, who, leaning on the 
handle of the pick, was viewing Bill Glass with 
frank dislike. “We — we haven’t taken any 
steps in the matter yet.” 

Bill shook his head. “Wouldn’t leave it too 
long, mates,” he said. “Them Portigees be 
slippery critters. Like as not the feller as took 
them things has sold ’em by now over to Tuckers- 
ville. Would you know ’em again if you seen 
’em?” 


242 PARTNERS THREE 

“Yes, even if they'd been painted!" snapped 
Hal. 

“That's fortunate, then, for you might look 
in the junk shops an' get 'em back. Well, I'll 
take these clams along up. Wish you good 
luck, mates." 

“I'll go with you and find a pan or some- 
thing to put them in," said Jack. Bill was 
silent until they reached the tent and had 
emptied the clams out into the receptacle Jack 
provided. Then, with a jerk of a big, stubby 
thumb over his shoulder: 

“He don't like me, that young feller. I 
know his father. Used to sail on his boats. 
Fine man, but pig-headed as all get-out, he be. 
Well, so long, mate. Hope you like them 
clams." 

“Thank you," answered Jack. “We're very 
much obliged to you. I wish, though, you'd 
let us pay you for them." 

Bill shook his head as he swung his pail to his 
arm and thrust his big hands into the pockets of 
his trousers, which, today, were tucked into a 
pair of rubber boots. “ I don't want no money 
for 'em, mate," he growled. “ I be in debt to 
ye, in a way o' speakin', an’ Honest Bill Glass 


BILL RETURNS THE CALL 243 

always pays his debts, mate. Cal’ate we be 
in for a storm afore long.” And Bill tramped 
off slowly down the hill to the wharf, leaving 
Jack to wonder what he had meant. 

“In debt to us,” muttered Jack. “Now 
awhat did he mean by that?” 

“He meant,” said Hal, when Jack repeated 
the remark, “that he owed me for the things 
he stole out of my boat. What else could he 
mean?” 

“He might have meant,” replied Bee thought- 
fully, “that he had a grudge against us. If he 
has I hope he'll forget to pay us back.” 

“I don't believe it was that,” Jack doubted. 
“He seemed quite friendly. He wouldn't have 
brought the clams unless he meant well, I 
guess.” 

“They're probably poisoned,” said Hal 
promptly. “You don't catch me eating any 
of them!” 

“Oh, don't be a silly goat,” begged Bee. 
“What would he want to poison us for? Besides 
how the dickens could anyone put poison in a 
clam? Look at them; they're closed as tight as 
a — a drum.” 

“I wouldn't trust him, though,” responded 


244 PARTNERS THREE 

Hal, unconvinced. “A man who will steal will 
do anything.” 

“Poppycock! You’ve got an overwrought 
imagination, whatever that is. You ought to 
write detective stories, Hal. ‘The Poisoned 
Clams, or the Pirate’s Revenge!’ How’s that 
for a corking title?” 


CHAPTER XX! 

Trained Clams 

There was no more digging done that after- 
noon, although Bee returned to the scene of 
operations and, seating himself with his feet 
in a trench, spent a full half-hour ruminating 
amongst the ruins, as Jack put it. Bill Glass 
had somewhat tarnished their enthusiasm. If 
the locality had already been dug up at least 
once what was the use of doing it again. Bee 
came back to the tent finally to lend a hand at 
the supper preparations, acknowledging himself 
“ quite discouraged.” 

The sun had worked down behind a mass of 
sullen, coppery-gray clouds by the time the fire 
was started and Jack, feeling of the air, as Bee 
called it, shook his head and predicted bad 
weather on the morrow. “I don’t believe we 
will be able to do any work, fellows,” he said. 
“ Looks to me like a good big gale coming. 
Perhaps, if it isn’t bad in the morning, we 
might go home and wait for it to pass.” 


246 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I’d like to be here in a gale,” said Bee. “I 
should think it would be stunning.” 

“Ye-es, but a tent, even a rain-proof one, 
isn’t exactly the place to stay in a nor’easter, 
especially if it hangs on for a couple of days, 
as it’s quite likely to.” 

“Me for home and mother,” declared Hal. 
“Why not make it tonight?” 

“Oh, shucks, there isn’t going to be any 
storm!” Bee scoffed. “Look at that sunset! 
Besides, there isn’t a cloud in the sky, except 
a few over there in the west. If it looks bad in 
the morning we’ll go back, but don’t let’s spoil 
a jolly evening. How are you going to cook 
those clams, Jack?” 

“In wet seaweed, and you’re going to get the 
seaweed,” replied the chef. Jack put the water 
on to boil and then took the clams down to the 
beach. Under his direction Bee and Hal set 
about gathering seaweed and driftwood, while 
Jack scooped a shallow bowl in the sand and 
set a few stones about the edge. In this a fire 
was started, and, leaving the others to keep it 
going, Jack returned to his “stove” at the tent. 
Up there he boiled the tea, emptied the con- 
tents of a can of baked beans into a frying pan 


TRAINED CLAMS 


247 


and cut the bread. When he got back to the 
fire on the beach it was a roaring pit of flames, 
and Hal and Bee, panting and perspiring, were 
lying at a respectful distance, resting from their 
exertions. Jack searched until he found a 
pole and with it poked at the fire until Bee 
protested. 

“ We’ve nearly killed ourselves building that,” 
he said, “and now you’re simply ruining it. 

! First thing you know it will get peevish and bite 
you, Jack.” 

“ I want to hurry it along. We’ve got to have 
a nice big bed of coals before we can do any- 
thing. Run up and see about those beans, Bee, 
like a good fellow. I don’t want them to burn. 
And you might put one or two small pieces of 
wood on the fire up there.” 

Bee arose with a groan. “Gee, this thing 
of cooking supper all over the island is no 
cinch,” he murmured. “I wonder why we 
didn’t do it right and have two or three more 
fires scattered around.” 

Presently Jack threw off the burning wood 
and laid a layer of wet seaweed over the glowing 
bed of embers. On the seaweed he placed the 
clams, covering them with another layer of sea- 


248 


PARTNERS THREE 


weed. Then he heaped more wood on top and 
sat down to wait. Bee returned with the news 
that the water was coming to a boil in the kettle 
and that he thought the beans were pretty 
nearly hot enough because they had burned his 
finger when he tried them! Jack’s pole was 
again put to work, the fire was scattered and the 
top layer of seaweed removed. 

“Look at the poor little things!” exclaimed 
Bee, as the clams were revealed. “They’re 
gasping for breath!” 

“They certainly smell mighty good,” said 
Hal as Jack gathered them into the tin. “Do 
you think they’re done, Jack?” 

“To a turn. Hurry up and let’s get at them 
while they’re hot.” At the tent Jack quickly 
melted some butter and the three boys, by this 
time almost hungry enough to eat shells and all, 
set to work. Hal forgot his fears and went at 
those baked clams as though his life depended 
on eating his share. Each filled a dish with them, 
took it into his lap and said nothing for several 
minutes. At last Bee, disposing of his shells 
by the simple expedient of tossing them over 
his head, held out his tin plate. 

“More,” he said. 


TRAINED CLAMS 


249 


“I don’t see why we haven’t had clams 
before,” remarked Hal, filling his own plate 
again. “ Shove the butter this way a bit, Jack, 
will you?” 

“I shall be up before sunrise tomorrow,” said 
Bee, “ clamming. How do you catch them, 
anyway?” 

“Take a shovel,” replied Jack gravely, “and 
walk quietly along the flats until you see one. 
Then you chase it. If it gets to its nest before 
you can grab it you have to dig it out.” 

Bee eyed him suspiciously. “Nest? What 
are you talking about? Clams burrow in the 
sand. Think I’m a fool?” 

“Can’t a burrow be a nest?” asked Hal. 
“They’re always called clam nests. Haven’t 
you ever heard the saying ‘As cozy as a clam 
in its nest?’” 

“No, I haven’t. And I don’t believe you 
have to chase clams. How the dickens could 
they run?” He held one up for inspection. 
“They haven’t any legs!” 

“They don’t have to have legs,” replied Jack, 
“and they don’t run. I didn’t say they ran. 
What they do is put their heads out and pull 
themselves along with their teeth. And maybe 
they can’t go!” 


250 


PARTNERS THREE 


"It's wonderful/’ agreed Hal seriously. 
“Marvellous!” 

Bee observed them and grunted skeptically. 

“ I remember a fellow who used to live on the 
Neck,” said Jack, “who had a pair of trained 
clams. Ever hear of him, Hal?” 

“Seems to me I have. Wasn’t his name 
Simpkins or something like that?” 

“ Hopkins, George Hopkins. He trained those 
clams to race and used to take them around to 
the state fairs and things like that. Made quite 
a lot of money, I believe.” 

“I remember now,” said Hal. “He used to 
put a dish of melted butter down and the clams 
would see which could get to it first. You 
wouldn’t think a thing like a clam would have 
so much — so much intelligence, would you?” 

“Pity you aren’t a clam,” scoffed Bee. “You 
fellows must think I’m pretty easy to believe a 
yarn like that. Trained clams! Did this fellow 
Jenkins — ” 

“Hopkins,” corrected Jack, soberly. 

“Did he ever think to have some hurdles and 
let the clams jump over them?” 

“I don’t believe so. I remember, though, 
that he taught one of them to climb trees. I 


TRAINED CLAMS 251 

think that was Hortense. I believe Percy 
never would learn that trick.” 

“ Hortense! I suppose those clams came 
when you called them?” 

“Oh, yes; that is, usually. Once, though, 
Hortense got up into a tree and refused to come 
down. And when, finally, Hopkins climbed up 
there for her he found she was making a nest in 
the branches ! I’ve often wondered what became 
of those clams.” 

“Don’t you know?” asked Bee. “I read 
about it in the paper a couple of years ago. 
They were walking along the beach one day, 
hand in hand, when a big wave came up and 
drowned them. It was indeed a clammy death.” 

“I’ll have a clammy death,” laughed Jack, 
“ if I don’t stop eating these. Want some more, 
Hal? Lots of them here. No? Well, how do 
you fellows feel about baked beans?” 

“Are they trained beans?” asked Bee sus- 
piciously. 

“No, just baked. Have some?” 

“About seven, thanks. I’m not as hungry 
as I was. I’ll bet I’ve eaten twelve dozen of 
those bivalves. A clam is a bivalve, isn’t it?” 

“Always, unless it has three shells.” 


252 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ What is it then?” asked Hal, reaching for the 
teapot. 

“A curiosity. Who’s seen the canned cow?” 

By bedtime a little breeze had sprung up 
from the east and the temperature made a sud- 
den drop. The boys were glad to get into the 
shelter of the tent. Hal had been very quiet 
for some time and was the first under the 
blankets. It was perhaps an hour later when 
Jack was awakened by hearing his name called. 

“Hello!” he cried. “What is it?” 

“It’s me,” answered Hal’s voice from the 
darkness. “I’m dying! I knew he’d poisoned 
them!” 

“Dying? What for?” Jack, half awake, 
crawled shivering out of bed and groped for 
the lantern. “Who poisoned what?” 

“The clams. Bill Glass poisoned them,” 
groaned Hal. “I told you he had. O — oh! 
Can’t you do anything, Jack?” 

“Yes, I can light the lantern if I ever find it,” 
muttered Jack. “Hi, Bee!” 

“What?” asked Bee sleepily. 

“Wake up. Hal’s got a tummy-ache.” 

“ So have I,” grumbled Bee. “ Let me alone.” 

Wlien the lantern was finally lighted Hal 


TRAINED CLAMS 


253 


was discovered as nearly tied in a knot as he 
could be, groaning pathetically. “ It’s the clams, 
Jack. They were poisoned. I — I think I’m 
going to die!” 

“I think you’re going to drink a pint of hot 
water if I can get a fire started,” muttered Jack, 
struggling into his trousers. “Get up, Bee, 
and lend a hand.” 

“All right,” yawned Bee. “What’ll I do? 
Want your tummy rubbed, Hal?” 

“No! Don’t touch it! Haven’t you got any 
medicine, Jack?” 

“Plenty. I’m getting it as fast as I can. 
Find a match, Bee.” 

The wind was blowing hard and the tent was 
tugging at its ropes, and starting a fire wasn’t 
an easy matter. Luckily, however, a few embers 
still remained and there was wood handy and at 
last Jack had the fire going and the kettle on. 
But the wind blew the flames around, driving 
sparks into the air, and the water heated slowly. 
Meanwhile Hal groaned on, protesting between 
groans that he was poisoned and would surely 
die. 

“All the matter with you is that you ate too 
many clams,” replied Jack. “I’ll have you 
fixed up in five minutes, Hal.” 


254 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ I shan’t — be alive — in five minutes / 7 groaned 
Hal. “Why did we come away without any 
medicine? Ow! O-o-oh! Can’t you do any- 
thing for a fellow, Jack?” 

“Just a minute now,” comforted Jack. “Feel 
a little better, do you?” 

“No, it’s getting — worse! It — it’s ptomaine 
poisoning, and folks die of that, don’t they?” 

“Not generally, I guess. Turn over and let 
Bee rub you, Hal.” 

“No-o-o! I don’t want — to be rubbed! Isn’t 
that — water hot yet?” 

It was, and Bee supported Hal’s head while 
Jack poured cupful after cupful of scalding 
water down his throat, Hal protesting whenever 
they allowed him a chance that they were 
burning his insides. 

“Never mind that, have some more,” replied 
Jack. “Feel better now?” 

“I don’t know,” moaned Hal, as Bee laid his 
head down again. “You’ve scalded — my throat 
horribly.” 

Hal had rather a hard time of it for another 
quarter of an hour, during which the others sat 
beside him and shivered in the cold blasts that 
crept under the tent. Jack piled all the cloth- 


TRAINED CLAMS 


255 


ing he could find on Hal’s bed and at last the 
latter fell off to sleep. 

Jack stretched his arms, yawning and shiver- 
ing. “ There, he’s all right, I guess. Let’s 
get to bed. My, but it’s cold!” 

“ Isn’t it? My feet are like chunks of ice. 
I had a stomach ache myself when you woke me 
up, but I guess I worked it off. No more trained 
clams for me, Jack!” 



CHAPTER XXI 
“Schooner Ashore l” 

They awoke the next morning with the crash 
of the surf in their ears, a northeasterly gale 
blowing around the side of the hill and a leaden, 
cloudy sky overhead. The Crystal Spring was 
rocking two and fro at the mouth of the river 
and Jack viewed her anxiously as he dressed 
shiveringly in the tent. Hal arose rather pale 
and heavy-eyed, but not much the worse for his 
over-indulgence in baked clams, and viewed the 
depressing outlook distastefully. But after a 
hearty breakfast, which they had to eat inside 
the tent because of the wind, they all felt more 
cheerful. Hal was for going back to Green- 
haven, but Jack refused to make the trip. 

“Look at that sea, Hal,” he said. “The 
launch wouldn't do a thing but fill up with water 
by the time we'd made the point there. And 
as for the Crystal Spring , well, I guess she'd 
make harbor finally, but she's no heavy weather 


258 


PARTNERS THREE 


boat and I don’t fancy trying to sail her today. 
Maybe it’ll clear up by afternoon.” 

“What can we do here, though?” asked Hal 
dismally. 

“Dig,” replied Bee. “It’s a dandy day for 
digging; cool and without any glare to hurt your 
eyes. We can get a lot done today.” 

“We can, can we? Well, I don’t intend to 
freeze to death out there,” replied Hal rebel- 
liously. “I’m sick of digging, anyway.” 

“You’ll be lot warmer digging than you will 
sitting here,” laughed Jack. “Come on and 
get up an appetite for dinner, Hal.” 

But Hal refused and they left him hugging 
the fire, with a blanket over his shoulders. 
Jack took the pick and Bee seized a shovel and 
they made the dirt fly. It was really the only 
way to keep warm, as Jack had said. They 
were just finishing the first trench when Hal 
joined them. 

“A fellow could freeze to death up there,” he 
muttered, picking up the second shovel. 
“What’ll I do, Bee?” 

After that the work went merrily and Hal 
soon forgot his ill-temper. They finished the 
second trench by noon and then Bee suggested 


“SCHOONER ASHORE!” 


259 


having a swim. And a glorious battle with the 
breakers they had! To dive through a six-foot 
comber and ride back to the beach on the crest 
of another is rare sport and splendidly conducive 
to the cultivation of appetites. At dinner even 
Hal agreed that so far they had had a bully 
time and he said no more about returning to 
Greenhaven that day. They went back to 
digging about two and managed to excavate 
most of the third trench before the wind, which 
was growing harder and harder every hour, 
drove them back to shelter. They saw to the 
guy-ropes and pegs, as Jack pointed out that it 
wasn’t pleasant to have your tent blown down on 
top of you; gathered a new store of wood and 
retired to their inside, watching the cloud-wrack 
go sailing overhead and the waves dashing into 
spray against Toller’s Rock. A sea-going tug 
passed a mile out, making hard weather and 
shipping water at every plunge. They watched 
her until she had rolled herself out of sight 
behind the spray-drenched headland. By four 
o’clock the wind was little short of a young 
hurricane, as Jack expressed it, and the tent was 
rocking and swaying. The wind rushed under 
the flaps and inflated the canvas until it 


260 


PARTNERS THREE 


threatened to sail into the air like a balloon. 
Jack began to look anxious. 

“I think Til go down and see how the sloop’s 
getting along,” he announced. "It looks to me 
as though she was a little farther up than she 
was. I’ve got another anchor aboard and I 
guess I’d better drop it.” 

The others volunteered to accompany him 
and they went staggering down the slope to 
the wharf, clutching at their caps and stumbling 
over bushes under the rude buffets of the wind. 
The river was running high, with masses of 
driftwood and froth piled along the margin. 
The Corsair had swung in amongst the spiles 
and was apparently trying to rub her varnish 
off, while the dory — 

The boys looked at each other in dismay. 
Where was the dory? There was not a vestige 
of it. It had been securely tied to one of the 
spiles; Jack had attended to it himself; and that 
it could have tugged loose seemed impossible. 

"Bill Glass,” breathed Hal with a kind of 
" I-told-you-so ” inflection. 

"I don’t believe it,” replied Bee stoutly. 
"You’re getting so you blame Bill Glass if you 
bite your tongue, Hal. Besides, I saw him 


“SCHOONER ASHORE!” 


261 


when he went off and he certainly didn’t have 
Jack’s dory.” 

“He could have come back last night and 
taken it, couldn’t he?” asked Hal scathingly. 
“Oh, he’s got it all right enough!” 

“But he wouldn’t dare to,” persisted Bee. 
“Why, he couldn’t hide a dory, could he?” 

“ He doesn’t have to hide it. He’s painted it 
blue by this time!” 

“Well, somebody must have taken it,” said 
Jack troubledly, “for I don’t believe any amount 
of wind would have untied those hitches of 
mine. Still, I suppose I’d better go up the river 
a ways and look. May I take the launch, Hal?” 

“Of course, and we’ll go along.” 

But although they chugged up the stream for 
a half-mile or more they saw no trace of the 
Faith and finally Jack declared that it was use- 
less to look farther unless they meant to go all 
the way to Bill Glass’s. “That dory never got 
around three bends in the river,” said Jack, 
“without being towed. She’d have gone ashore 
long before this.” 

So they turned the launch and went back in 
the teeth of the gale. Fortunately, although 
the tide was unusually high, the banks of the 


262 


PARTNERS THREE 


stream still afforded some protection from the 
wind. Otherwise the Corsair would have blown 
on the sand-bars time and again. Back at the 
island, they kept on to the Crystal Spring. 
The sloop had worked pretty well over to the 
south side of the river entrance and was rolling 
and plunging most undignifiedly. Jack 
scrambled aboard as soon as the launch was 
under her lee and presently returned with his 
second anchor. They ran around the stem of 
the sloop and almost across to the opposite 
beach. There Jack tossed the anchor over. 
Then, paying the cable out, the launch pitched 
her way back to the sloop and Jack made the 
rope fast on the bow. They were all pretty 
well drenched by the time they got back into 
the quieter water of the river, and as soon as 
they had made the launch secure where she 
could not rub against the spiles they got back 
to the tent as quickly as their legs would carry 
them. 

They heaped wood on the dying fire and tried 
to dry their garments, but it was not so easy. 
If they got in the lee of the fire they were 
choked with smoke and deluged with sparks, 
while if they moved elsewhere they got little 


“SCHOONER ASHORE!” 


263 


heat and the wind went through their wet 
clothing until their teeth chattered. Jack finally 
announced that there was but one thing to do, 
and that was to get their clothes off, rub them- 
selves dry and warm with towels and dry the 
garments at the fire. This proved a good idea, 
for by the time they had applied the rough bath 
towels vigorously to their bodies they were in a 
comfortable glow. Draping themselves in 
blankets, they threw more fuel on the fire and 
held their clothes in the warmth until they were 
at least fairly dry. By that time it was long 
after five o’clock and supper was to be thought 
of. They decided that hot coffee would be appro- 
priate and that it would be useless to try and do 
any cooking. So half an hour later they huddled 
in the tent and ate cold canned tongue, bread 
and butter, cheese and vanilla cookies and drank 
plenty of steaming hot coffee. 

“That coffee is certainly what I needed,” 
sighed Hal, “but I won’t be able to sleep a wink 
before ten o’clock.” 

“Perhaps you wouldn’t anyhow,” replied 
Jack, “with this wind howling so. I wish I 
was sure this old tent wouldn’t leave us in the 
middle of the night.” 


264 


PARTNERS THREE 


They lighted the lanterns and heaped up the 
fire again and strove to be cheerful. But the 
lanterns flared and guttered and the boom 
of the sea and the roar of the wind were depress- 
ing. Even Bee began to look glum, and long 
before it was nearly their usual bed-time, con- 
versation had entirely died out and the three 
boys were huddled under their blankets silently 
watching the lanterns swaying from the roof- 
pole. They had decided that they would not 
take their clothes off, since, as Jack pointed out, 
it might be necessary for them to get up and 
chase the tent across the island before morning. 

“I'd give something to be at home just now,” 
oberved Hal once, “with my back to the library 
fire. This camping-out isn’t all it’s cracked 
up to be, fellows.” 

“And this is certainly camping out” agreed 
Bee. “I suppose it was on nights like this that 
Old Verny used to light his trusty lantern and 
take a stroll along the beach, eh, Jack?” 

“I dare say. I guess there’s more than one 
boat in trouble tonight. The wind must be 
blowing a good forty miles.” 

There was not much pleasure in talking, how- 
ever, even if they had had anything to say, for 


“SCHOONER ASHORE!” 


265 ' 


the noise of the elements was so great that they 
had almost to shout to make themselves heard 
across the tent, and so they relapsed into silence 
again and regretted having drank that coffee. 

About nine o’clock a flurry of rain set in and 
the drops dashed against the tent like hail- 
stones. Several crashes of thunder followed, 

' and once the lightning flared so brightly that 
the glow of the swaying lanterns was dimmed 
in the tent. Then the rain blew over, the 
thunder died away as quickly as it had come and 
only the dry gale remained. But its fury con- 
tinued unabated and by ten o’clock had even 
perceptibly increased. The only thing that 
saved the tent was the fact that it was protected 
from the direction of the storm by the shoulder 
of the hill and the grove. Even as it was, it 
seemed every moment that at the next onslaught 
the canvas would be ripped into ribbons or torn 
from its ropes. The boys huddled under their 
blankets with taut nerves and staring eyes, 
watching the canvas above them bulge and 
flap and the lanterns rock and flare, with sleep 
a long way off. And yet it is probable that, an 
hour or so later, each was drowsing a little, for 
when the first sudden boom of the cannon came 


266 


PARTNERS THREE 


Jack heard it as though in a dream, while Bee 
and Hal, being questioned, declared they had 
heard nothing. They waited. The minutes 
passed and only the howling and screeching of 
the tempest was audible. Jack had about 
reached the conclusion that he had imagined 
the sound when it came again: 

Boom-m-m-m! 

The boys started, and Jack, tossing aside his 
blankets, jumped to his feet. 

“What is it?” shouted Bee anxiously. 

“A ship ashore,” answered Jack, buttoning 
his jacket and pulling his cap down on his head. 
“Come on!” 


CHAPTER XXII 
In The Teeth of The Gale 

He seized the lantern and in a moment they 
were out of the tent, staggering along in the 
wake of the flickering light, the wind beating 
and buffeting them at every step. The world 
was a wild confusion of darkness and turmoil. 
Jack led the way around the side of the hill and 
presently the full force of the gale found them 
and they reeled under the shock of it. After 
that it was only by bending forward and digging 
their feet into the ground that they could get 
ahead. The air was wet with salt spume from 
the waves below. They fought onward a step 
at a time, their eyes half-closed, gasping for 
breath. And suddenly ahead of them in the 
blackness a trail of light flared skyward and a 
rocket burst into flying sparks. 

Jack pulled the others down beside him on the 
ground. “ She’s on The Tombstones,” he 
shouted. He hid the lantern under his jacket 
and peered for a minute through the darkness. 


268 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Two-masted schooner,” he announced. “Fish- 
erman, I guess. I can just see her.” But the 
others, strain their eyes as they might, could 
make out nothing. 

“What can we do?” cried Bee. 

Jack arose. “Come on,” he shouted. They 
staggered ahead again, Jack leading the way 
upward until they were at the edge of the grove. 
There, while Hal and Bee crouched beside him, 
Jack braced himself against a tree and waved 
the lantern back and forth in long sweeps of his 
arm. Again the cannon boomed and again a 
rocket trailed into the night. Bee thought once 
he heard a hail from the schooner, but he could 
not be certain for the wind was full of strange 
sounds and voices. For several minutes Jack 
waved. Then, summoning the others, he led 
them back around the hill. They went almost 
at a run, stumbling over rocks, tripping over 
bushes, the wind behind them seemingly bent 
on blowing them off the island. Hal wondered 
how they could ever find the tent again, but 
Jack led them to it unerringly and they stag- 
gered in, breathless and white-faced. Jack 
placed the lantern down and sank to his bed. 
No one spoke for a moment. Then — 


IN THE TEETH OF THE GALE 269 


“ Isn’t there anything we can do, Jack?” 
faltered Hal huskily. “Could we get to them 
in the launch?” 

Jack shook his head. “Let me think a 
minute,” he said. He placed his elbows on his 
knees and sank his chin in his hands, gazing 
at the ground. Bee, nervously buttoning and 
unbuttoning his jacket, watched impatiently. 
Finally Jack beckoned and they gathered close 
to him. 

“I guess,” he said, “the only thing we can 
do is get word to the life savers. Maybe they’ve 
seen the rockets already and are on the way, but 
there’s no way of being sure about that. There’s 
no patrol in summer and I guess the only place 
they’d see the signals from is the Fort.” 

“Where’s the nearest station?” asked Hal. 

“Greenhaven; Harbor Beach,” said Jack. 

“'But that’s miles away! They’d never get 
here!” 

“They could do it in an hour, I think. They’d 
come straight down the harbor and through the 
canal into Eight-Fathom Cove. They have a 
motor boat and it can go pretty fast. They’ll 
have an awful time off Toller’s Sands, though, 
and maybe they won’t dare to try it. But I 


270 


PARTNERS THREE 


guess it’s up to us to get word to them. There’s 
nothing else we can do, is there?” 

Hal and Bee shook their heads. Through the 
storm came the boom of the cannon again. Bee 
moved impatiently. 

“ Whatever we do, let’s get at it!” he 
exclaimed. “How long will that boat last out 
there?” 

Jack shook his head. “There’s no knowing.” 

“But how can we get to Greenhaven?” 
demanded Hal wildly. “You don’t mean the — 
the launch?” 

“Up the river to the railroad,” answered 
Jack. “The river’s full and I guess we can 
make it without running aground. There’s a 
switch tower back of Cove Village and we can 
telephone from there. Will you fellows try 
it?” 

“Of course,” answered Hal. “You take the 
lantern and Bee and I will bring the oars. Is 
there anything else we’ll need?” 

“No. All ready? Come on, then!” 

Down the hill they plunged. Near the last 
trenches they had dug they passed out of the 
protection of the hill and the wind had a clean 
sweep at them. They had to cling together 


JN THE TEETH OF THE GALE 271 


there. Then they were on the sands. Dimly 
they could see the swaying mast of the sloop 
a few rods away. Finally the dim, flaring light 
of the lantern fell on the wharf and the Corsair. 
Jack handed the light to Hal and scrambled 
down the bank. The river was high and 
running with waves. Clinging to a spile, Jack 
reached the painter and pulled the bow of the 
launch in. One by one they scrambled aboard. 
Hal started the engine; it took several minutes 
to do it; then Jack cast off and seized the 
wheel. The lantern was hidden in the stern 
locker and Corsair chugged slowly forward into 
the darkness. Jack strained his eyes, but as 
yet he could see nothing. Luckily he knew the 
direction the stream took and for the first few 
minutes the launch was steered by guess work. 
Then the banks began to be distinguishable 
from the water as his eyes became accustomed 
to the darkness and he called for more speed. 
Hal, crouching in the back of the launch, opened 
the throttle further and the Corsair began to 
dip and roll. Bee staggered forward and stood 
beside Jack. 

“Can you see where we're going?" he shouted. 

“I can see enough," Jack answered. “Lot's 


272 PARTNERS THREE 

of depth tonight. We’ll get there, I guess. 
Faster, Hal!” 

The roar of the surf lessened behind them as 
the launch sped inland along the narrow stream. 
The banks protected them somewhat from the 
wind, but its voice was in their ears all the time 
and the Corsair shivered and rocked as the gusts 
found her. At such times Jack had all he could 
do to keep her off the bank. The minutes 
passed. One turn after another was passed in 
safety, the launch reeling off a good six miles 
an hour. Then there was a sudden shock, a 
moment of hesitancy and again the Corsair was 
plunging forward. 

“ Sand-bar, ” shouted Jack in Bee’s ear. ‘ ‘Got 
over it!” 

Seaward the rockets still flared in the darkness. 
It already seemed hours since they had started, 
although it is probable that they had been going 
but a scant fifteen minutes. Jack shouted to 
Bee and Bee scrambled back to inform Hal 
that they had passed the old bridge. 

“He says it’s only about three-quarters of a 
mile further to the track,” cried Bee. “We’re 
near Bill Glass’s place now. How’s she 
running? ” 


IN THE TEETH OF THE GALE 273 


“Fine. ” Hal squirted some oil in the general 
direction of the engine. Then the oil-can flew 
out of his hand and he sat down forcibly on the 
grating, with Bee on top of him. The Corsair 
had brought up with a jolt! 

“ Stop her ! ” came Jack ’s voice faintly. “ Re- 
verse! Quick !” 

Hal, gathering himself up, grabbed at the 
lever. The propeller churned and the Corsair 
shivered. Jack hurried back. 

“She’s hard aground,” he shouted. “Have 
you reversed her?” 

“Yes.” 

“Where are the oars?” 

Seizing one, he hurried back to the bow. Bee 
took the other and joined him. The propeller 
lashed and the boys pushed, but the launch, 
her nose deep in a bank of clay, refused to budge. 
Gradually her stern, under the force of the wind, 
swung around until it struck against the oppos- 
ite bank with a jar. 

“Stop your engine, Hal!” cried Jack. “It’s 
no good. Get the lantern out, Bee. We’ll 
have to foot it. ” 

They scrambled up the bank from the bow, 
slipping on the mud and slime, and with the 


274 


PARTNERS THREE 


wind howling about them and trying to blow 
them into the water struggled on over the marsh, 
tripping on tufts of grass, fighting for every 
inch. Once Bee lost his footing and would have 
gone headlong into the river had not Hal seized 
him. Then there was an exclamation from Jack. 
The lantern light fell on a tiny wharf jutting into 
the stream. Turning, Jack led tnem away 
from the river. “It’s Bill Glass’s!” he cried. 
“We’ll stop here a minute.” 

The cabin suddenly loomed before them and 
they staggered into its shelter. Jack raised his 
hand and hammered at the door. There was 
no response from within and he pushed against 
the crazy old portal. It swung readily on its 
leather hinges, scraping across the floor. 

“Hello! Bill Glass!” cried Jack. 

“Hi! Who be ye?” came a muffled voice 
from the cabin. 

“Jack Herrick. There s a schooner on The 
Tombstones. We’re trying to get word to the 
life savers. ” 

“Come in, mates.” They obeyed, the lan- 
tern light throwing fantastic shadows over the 
strange room. On the edge of the bunk sat 
Bill Glass, already struggling with his trousers. 


IN THE TEETH OF THE GALE 275 


“Sit ye down an’ rest, mates, ” he said. “So 
there be a schooner ashore, eh? Aye, there’ll 
be plenty o’ them in trouble this night. Could 
ye see her, mates?” 

“Faintly,” answered Jack, fighting for breath. 
“We heard her gun and then saw the rockets. 
She’s hard on The Tombstones, I think. We 
thought if we could get to the switch tower down 
the track we could telephone from there.” 

“Aye, so ye could, so ye could. What time 
might it be?” Bill peered at the nearest clock. 
“Nigh one bell, is it?” Then there be time to 
get to the railroad afore the night freight comes 
by. Where be my jacket? ” 

The cat appeared from under the stove and 
eyed them blinkingly. Bill Glass buttoned his 
old pea-jacket about him, found his hat and 
reached down a lantern. 

“No call for us all to go, I cal’ate,” he said 
as he lighted it. “Leave your lantern here for 
them, Jack Herrick, an’ you come along o’ me. ” 

“That’s so, fellows” said Jack. “We’ll get 
there quicker if there’s fewer of us. You wait 
here. ” 

“Aye, an’ build ye a fire in the stove, mates, 
an’ get warm. There be coffee there, an’ tea, 
likely, if you’ll look a bit. Come on, mate!” 







CHAPTER XXIII 
The Life-Boat Wins 

Bill Glass, lantern in hand, plunged into the 
darkness and the storm, Jack following at his 
heels. Their way led them away from the wind- 
ing river and under the radiance of the lantern 
Jack saw that they were treading a well-defined 
path through the marsh-grass. It was as much 
as he could do to keep up with his guide, whose 
shuffling gait, while it might look slow, covered 
ground with remarkable rapidity. And while 
Jack was forced to stagger under the force of 
the gale, Bill Glass, his head erect, never fal- 
tered. Five minutes of tramping brought them 
to the railroad trestle which was here raised 
some eight feet above the marsh, and even as 
they reached it the rails began to hum and afar 
to the northward a white light came into view. 

“ There she be,” said Bill. “Best give me a 
boost, mate; I be n't as spry as I was.” Jack 
aided and Bill scrambled to the trestle. Then 
the lantern was handed up and Jack followed. 


278 


PARTNERS THREE 


If it had been hard to keep one’s footing below 
it was infinitely harder here and Jack was dis- 
concerted to find that Bill meant to walk along 
the track. How he managed to step safely from 
one timber to another with that gale lashing 
and buffeting him Jack couldn’t understand, 
for it was all the boy could do to keep his feet. 
But fortunately a dozen yards brought them to 
a place where the cross timbers had been carried 
several feet out at the side of the trestle to ac- 
commodate a barrel of water for use in case of 
fire. Here there was room to stand out of the 
way of the train, and, better still, something to 
hold on to. Bill set the lantern on the track 
and waited. 

“She be heavy tonight,” he muttered, “or 
maybe the wind be rocking them cars.” 

The humming of the rails was not audible 
up there but the white light grew and grew and 
soon Bill was out on the track waving his lan- 
tern. And then, above the roaring of the wind, 
sounded the shrill, imperitive blasts of the lo- 
comotive whistle, followed more faintly by the 
jangle and bumping of the freight cars as the 
brakes were set, and the long train came to a 
stop some distance down the track. Bill Glass 


THE LIFE-BOAT WINS 


279 


seized his lantern and started off toward it and 
Jack, his knees quaking, followed as best he 
could. But when he too reached the engine the 
engineer was already making ready to go on and 
he had to seek another barrel platform with 
Bill Glass and wait while car after car went 
clattering, jarring by. When the rear light had 
passed Bill piloted the way back. By this time 
Jack had become fairly adept at walking a trestle 
in a fifty mile gale, although he was heartily 
glad when Bill stopped and climbed down to 
the ground again. Once more on the path it 
was possible to talk and be heard, and Jack 
asked anxiously; 

“Wfill they tell the life savers?” 

“Jim said he’d stop at the section house a 
mile below here and telephone to town. Jim’s 
got two sons at sea himself an he won’t forget, 
mate. ” 

There was no more said until they reached 
the cabin again, which was no slight task, since 
the wind was more in their faces going back. 
But finally the welcome gleam of the light met 
them and they staggered into the shelter of the 
building and pushed open the door. Hal was 
fast asleep in a chair and Bee, the yellow cat in 
his lap, was only half awake. 


280 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I thought you’d walked into the river or 
lost your way, ” he said with relief. “Old Hal’s 
asleep, isn’t he? Wake up, Hal!” 

Bill Glass said it might be two hours before 
life savers would reach the wreck and set about 
making some coffee. He soon had the fire 
started and the kettle filled with water. The 
boys could not but admire the deft way in which 
he accomplished things, even Hal acknowledging 
grudgingly afterwards that “the old pirate 
was no fool. ” As Bill busied himself about the 
stove Jack told how they had been awakened 
by the sound of the cannon and how they had 
gone out to locate the wreck, afterwards speed- 
ing up the river in the launch until a sudden 
gust had rammed her bow into the bank. 

“We’ll have a sip o’ coffee,” said Bill, “an’ 
then we’ll take the dory an’ go back there to your 
boat. Likely we can pull her off. ” 

When the coffee was ready they each drank a 
cupful of it and, although their host offered them 
no milk for it, it warmed and invigorated them. 
Afterwards they got into the dory under the 
little wharf and, Bill at the oars, and two lan- 
terns to light them, went slowly down the narrow 
stream. They reached the launch in almost no 


THE LIFE-BOAT WINS 


281 


time at all and Bill again took command of the 
situation. Hal was directed to start the engine 
and keep her at neutral. Then the stern was 
pushed off and the propellor was started slowly 
at reverse. Bill clambered to the bank, braced 
himself and pushed, while Bee and Jack shoved 
on the oars, and in a moment the Corsair was 
free again. Bill hitched his dory astern and, 
since there was not room there to turn the launch 
about in, directed Jack to go on up the stream 
for a ways. How in that blackness, Bill Glass 
could tell one place from another, was a mystery, 
but in a minute he ordered the engine stopped 
and, taking an oar, soon had the launch headed 
down stream. Then they set off for the island 
once more. Bill spoke only once on the journey. 
Then making a trumpet of his hands, he shouted 
across to Hal at the engine; 

“That be likely one o’ your father’s boats out 
there. Ain’t no others I knows of carries sig- 
nal guns.” 

The wind was almost dead ahead for most of 
the way and the Corsair tossed and careened 
like a sloop in a squall. Long before they found 
the wharf they began to encounter waves, and 
they were all pretty well sprinkled by the time 


282 


PARTNERS THREE 


the landing was made. All the way back they 
had watched for rockets beyond the island but 
had seen none. Jack said they had probably 
used them all up. Bee suggested that perhaps 
help had already reached them. But when, 
after making fast the launch, they battled around 
the beach hi the teeth of the gale a dim light 
showed in the locality of The Tombstones and 
Bill Glass, peering under his hands through the 
darkness, announced that the schooner was 
still there. 

There was nothing they could do but watch 
and wait, and after Bill had signalled for some 
minutes with his lantern and received finally an 
answering wave from the schooner they crept 
back to the tent for shelter. At intervals Bill 
went to the flap and viewed the sea in the direc- 
tion of Toller’s Rock. There wasn’t much con- 
versation. There was little to say and the 
noise of the waves and wind made talking diffi- 
cult. The tent still threatened to go at every 
blast and still held. An hour passed and the 
hands of Bee’s watch pointed to ten minutes 
past two when there came an exclamation of 
satisfaction from Bill Glass, who had gone to the 
tent door for perhaps the twentieth time. 



(Partners Three) 


(Chapter 23) 















































' 


















































































THE LIFE-BOAT WINS 283 

“ There she be!” he called. “Roundin' the 
Rock this minute. I see her light.” 

The boys clustered behind him and looked. 
Afar out was a tiny flicker that came and went 
as the waves tossed the boat up and down. 
Then suddenly a strong beam of white light shot 
across the water, moved right and left and dis- 
appeared again. 

“They be a-lookin',” said Bill. “That be 
her search-light. ” 

From the front of the tent they watched the 
tiny speck of light draw nearer and nearer until, 
at length, it was abreast of the island. Then it 
disappeared suddenly and there was a gasp from 
Bee. 

“She's sunk!” he cried. 

“Not she,” answered Bill Glass. “She be all 
water-tight compartments. Upset she can, 
mate, but never sink. That light be in the bow 
an' she's passed us. There be her search-light 
again.” 

There came a chorus of cries from the boys 
as suddenly, out of the blackness, the wrecked 
schooner appeared bathed in light. For a mo- 
ment only the search-light played upon her and 
then darkness shut down again. 


284 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ Square between the ledges she be,” ex- 
claimed Bill. “ Mainmast broke short off and 
fore-top-mast hangin\ Crew ’s in the riggin’ and 
the sea’s breakin’ over her deck hard, mates. 
But her hull be all right yet, I cal’ate. ” They 
hurried around the hill again, fighting the gale, 
until they were opposite the scene. 

“I saw three or four men clinging to ropes,” 
said Bee to Jack in an awed voice. “Will they 
get them off, Jack?” 

“Surely,” Jack answered. “I wonder if the 
life-boat can get alongside of her.” 

“Aye, that she will,” replied Bill Glass. 
“ Come around lee side o’ her, likely. She be one 
o’ Folsom’s boats, I cal’ate. A mighty long 
overhang for’ard, she has, an’ she might be the 
Jupiter. ” 

For what seemed many minutes there was no 
sign of the life-boat’s lights. Then the bow lan- 
tern glinted again near shore and was gone. 

“Crawlin’ around to looard, she be,” said Bill 
Glass admiringly. “Eh, I’d like mighty well, 
mates, to be havin’ a hand down there myself!” 

The search-light flooded the scene again, but 
this time its radiance disclosed only a part of the 
dark hull and the deck-house and a smother of 


THE LIFE-BOAT WINS 


285 


water that seemed rushing in all directions. 
The disk of light again disappeared, and in its 
place shone, startlingly brighter and nearer at 
hand, the bow light of the rescuer. After that 
the watchers on land could only surmise what 
was taking place down there in that cauldron of 
seething waves and frantic winds, for the search- 
light did not show again. It was Bill Glass who 
pictured the scene for them, shouting to them as 
they clustered close about him. 

“She be alongside now, mates, under the 
quarter likely. All hands leave ship! Aye, aye, 
twice I’ve heard that word, mates; once off 
Sable Island an' once 'most in sight o' port. 
They be climbin' down in the life-boat now, I 
cal'ate, an' the skipper's got his log-book an' his 
gold watch an' maybe a trinket or two. All 
hands to the life-boat! Eh, they won't need 
much tellin ' ! Thankful to go, they be, I cal'ate. " 

A light moved, swaying along the deck, and 
then went down out of sight. 

“That'll be the last, I cal'ate," said Bill. 
“Skipper, likely. Now she be castin' off. Can 
you see her light, mates?" 

They couldn't for a moment, but presently 
it appeared and moved, rising and falling, and 


286 


PARTNERS THREE 


once they thought they heard the beat of the 
engine as the life-boat fought her way off the 
shore and headed seaward. 

“Aye, a good job, shipmates !” shouted Bill 
Glass as the bow light was lost to them. “ God 
bless ye for brave boys!” He turned and led 
the way back toward the tent. Eastward there 
was a lightening of the horizon that told of the 
coming day. Back in the tent Bill blew out 
his lantern. 

“If I be n’t in the way, mates,” he said, 
“ I’ll just stop here for a bit. It’ll soon be morn- 
in’ an’ I be anxious to see what kind o’ a fix 
that boat be in. ” 

“Make yourself at home,” said Jack heartily. 
“Take this blanket and put it around you. 
Want to lie down here and have a nap?” 

“No, no, I’ll just sit her an’ smoke a pipe, 
thank ye. But you best be havin’ a sleep. ” 

“I don’t know about sleeping,” said Bee 
tiredly, “but I guess I’ll lie down awhile. Will 
you wake me, if I should go to sleep, Jack?” 

Jack promised, being certain that he would not 
sleep himself. But ten minutes later each of the 
three boys was slumbering, and Bill Glass, the 
acrid smoke from his pipe trailing out of the 
tent, sat open-eyed awaiting the dawn. 


CHAPTER XXIV 
Old Verny’s Wharf 

The sun came up over a heaving sea and the 
gale diminished. By five o'clock, although the 
wind still blew hard, it had shifted a point or 
two and Bill Glass predicted that by forenoon 
it would be gone. Sleepy-eyed the boys tum- 
bled out of the tent and followed Bill around the 
side of the hill. There is always something de- 
pressing in the sight of a wrecked ship and none 
of them spoke for several minutes. 

The schooner lay gripped between the two 
ledges, her bow high out of the water and the 
seas rushing across her abaft of the foremast. Her 
deck had been swept clean and not a boat was 
in sight. She had settled on a nearly even keel. 
The mainmast was broken short off some eight 
feet above the deck and although it had been 
cut away it still wallowed alongside, held by a 
rope or two. The foremast stood, but the top- 
mast hung in splinters. As far as could be seen, 


288 


PARTNERS THREE 


however, the hull had not broken and Bill 
thought she was not leaking much. 

“She be an old-timer, ” said Bill. “The 
Jupiter , just as I told ye last night. They made 
’em staunch and able twenty years ago, mates. 
She be one o’ your father’s boats, mate, an’ like- 
ly she be well filled with fish. Maybe they’ll 
get her off, but she’s lyin’ ugly, she’s lyin’ ugly. ” 
And Bill shook his head. 

“They’ll send tugs around pretty soon, I 
guess,” said Jack. “But they’ll have to wait 
for high tide, won’t they?” 

“Aye, along toward two o’clock, I cal’ate. 
They’ll lighten her first, though. Maybe if the 
sea goes down they can save the cargo. I don’t 
know though. ” 

“There’s one ship right under her now” said 
Bee. “We saw her the other day.” 

“Aye, the State o’ Maine, ” agreed Bill. “ She 
went to pieces there forty-odd years ago, I 
cal’ate. A brig, she was. Seven men went 
down with her, they tell. ” 

Bee shivered. “I’m glad I didn’t see any of 
them,” he murmured. 

“Gone long afore this, they be,” answered 
Bill. “Well, I must be gettin’ home. Cal’ate, 
though, I’ll be back again later. ” 


OLD VERNY’S WHARF 289 

“Won’t you have some breakfast with us?” 
asked Bee. 

“ Thank ye, mate, but I’ll be goin’ back. 
There’s Benjamin Franklin to feed an’ — ” 

“Benjamin Franklin!” exclaimed Bee. 

“The cat,” replied Bill with one of his hidden 
smiles. “He an’ me be old friends an’ Ben 
don’t take kindly to waitin’ for his breakfast. ” 

They watched Bill go down the hill and across 
the sandy stretch to the wharf and then set about 
preparing breakfast, everyone taking a hand 
since all were hungry. The wind had sen- 
sibly diminished and it was possible to build a 
fire outside. Jack was just touching a match to 
the kindlings when a faint shout reached them 
and they saw Bill Glass a hundred yards or so 
up the river waving his hand and pointing across 
the flat between the river and the sea. 

“Now, what’s he mean?” muttered Jack as 
they moved around the shoulder of the hill. 
Then three ejaculations of astonishment burst 
from as many throats. Across what yesterday 
had been a level stretch of dry sand and beach- 
grass flowed a twenty-foot inlet! The sea had 
claimed it’s right of way once more and once 
more Nobody’s Island had become an island in 


290 


PARTNERS THREE 


fact as well as in name! At the ocean end the 
waves had eaten a wide indentation in the shore, 
from which the new stream curved westward 
until it joined the river. Even as they looked a 
long section of the bank crumbled and splashed 
into the water and the little cove widened. 

“Well, what do you think of that!” exclaimed 
Bee. 

“Father always said that inlet would come 
back some day,” said Jack, “and last night’s 
storm was just the kind to do it, for it was blow- 
ing straight across that sand. It’s a good thing 
it wasn’t there when we came back from Bill 
Glass’s or we might have turned into it and 
found ourselves in the surf. Look at the wreck- 
age over there, fellows. There ’s wood enough to 
last us all winter.” 

“There’s a whaling big boat down there,” 
announced Hal. “See it! Lying on its side 
where all that seaweed is piled up.” 

“That’s right. It’s probably one of the 
Jupiter’s. We’ll have to go down there after 
breakfast and look at it. ” 

“Now,” said Bee, as they ate, “we can go 
ahead. There’s no use trying to find buried 
treasure on an island that isn’t an island at all. 


OLD VERNY’S WHARF 


291 


That's what has been queering us, fellows. Now 
that it is really an island again, though, we 
can't miss it!" 

“You don't mean that you're going to start 
that business again?" groaned Hal. 

“Right away," answered Bee cheerfully. 
“That storm has removed the hoodoo from — 
from our undertaking, Hal." 

“Well, it certainly removed a lot of other 
things, " laughed Jack, “ and why not a hoodoo? " 

“I'm hoping it removed our shovels," said 
Hal. “We left them down there where we were 
digging and I don't see them now!" 

“They’re in the trenches," answered Bee. 
“I looked. And the trenches are pretty nearly 
filled up again. " 

After breakfast they went down to the new 
cove. The dory lay on the opposite side of the 
inlet, however, and although Bee suggested 
wading across, investigation proved that the 
water was at least four feet deep in the shallow- 
est place. So they removed their clothes, 
plunged in and swam to the opposite side, Bee 
remarking that it was quite a thing to be the 
first bathers there. When they reached the 
dory, however, they found that it was half full 


292 


PARTNERS THREE 


of sand and that their united efforts failed to 
even budge it. 

“Well,” said Jack, “it won’t get away in a 
hurry. We’ll leave it for someone else to res- 
cue, I guess. There are probably more dories 
along shore. ” 

They returned across the inlet and ran up and 
down in the wind to get dry. It didn’t take 
long, but it was cold work and they were glad 
to pull their clothes on again. Afterwards they 
set out along the edge of the stream. The tide 
had begun to rise and the water was running in 
fast. Now and then the edge of the sandy 
bank on their side would break away and topple 
down, disolving like sugar in a tea cup. Bee, 
who had loitered a few steps behind the others, 
stopped and said “Hello!” in a surprised voice 
and the others turned back. 

“What have you found?” asked Jack. 

Bee was kicking the sand with his foot and 
by the time Jack and Hal reached him he had 
laid bare the top of a roughly-laid stone wall or 
pavement. “It’s a cabin,” he exclaimed eager- 
ly. “I mean it’s the foundation of it. I’m 
going to get a shovel. ” 

“Bring them both!” called Jack as Bee sped 
off around the island. 


OLD VERNY’S WHARF 


293 


Five minutes of digging, however, showed 
them that instead of finding the foundations 
of the wrecker’s cabin they had unearthed the 
end of a little stone wharf, and Bee was greatly 
disappointed. “Still,” he said presently, if the 
wharf was here it’s possible the cabin was near- 
by. ” He looked about for a probable site, but 
the sand continued for nearly a hundred feet 
before the hill began and he finally agreed with 
the others that Verny would not have been 
likely to build his house thereabouts. “Just 
the same, I don’t see why he needed two 
wharves,” he objected. 

“ I guess that other one must have been put up 
by someone else,” pondered Jack. “When you 
come to think of it, those wooden spiles wouldn’t 
have lasted for over forty years, would they? 
This was probably Old Vemy’s wharf and he 
put it here so he could get to it from either side 
of the point. ” 

“Well, we’ve found something,” said Hal, 
even if we haven’t discovered the treasure. 
What’s that?” 

The sound he had heard proved on investi- 
gation to be the whistle of a tug and by the time 
they had reached the seaward side of the island 


294 


PARTNERS THREE 


it was evident that the task of getting the 
Jupiter off was about to begin. Two tugs and 
a small lighter were lying off The Tombstones 
and already a boat was putting off from one of 
the tugs. In the stern of it sat two men whom 
Hal recognized even at that distance. 

“ That’s dad and Tom Dickenson,” he said. 
“ They’re going to look things over, I guess.” 
Hal waved his cap and after awhile the men saw 
and waved back. “Look here, why can’t we 
go out there? ” asked Hal eagerly. 

“Not in the launch,” replied Jack. “We’d 
be on the rocks in five minutes with that wind 
and tide. Let’s wait awhile. Maybe by noon 
the wind will be gone. It’s holding up every 
minute now. ” 

So they perched themselves in a partly 
sheltered corner of the big ledge overlooking 
The Tombstones and watched operations. The 
row boat, with four men at the oars, circled 
around the Jupiter, tossing and rocking on the 
waves. The two tugs, one having the lighter 
in tow, wallowed and pitched at a safe distance, 
drifting in toward shore and then steaming 
back again, until the row boat returned. Then 
activity began in earnest. The tugs drifted 


OLD VERNY’S WHARF 


295 


down to within a rope’s throw of the ledges and 
dropped anchors. Cables were payed out into 
rowboats and in a few minutes the bow of the 
Jupiter was alive with men. The lighter was 
hauled alongside, cables were made fast, hatches 
thrown off, wreckage was cleared away and the 
work of unloading the schooner was begun. 
The work went merrily in spite of the high seas 
that still swept now and then across the after 
deck. The men disappeared under clouds of 
spray at times, but the baskets were lowered 
and filled with fish and hauled up again by block 
and tackle and swung over the side to the 
lighter, which lay under the bow, with remark- 
able regularity. The mainmast, floating along- 
side, was hauled away by two man in a cockle- 
shell of a dory and made fast to one of the 
tugs. At the end of an hour the wind, always 
drawing further into the north, was scarcely 
more than a good blow and the surface of the 
sea perceptibly calmed. 

Bill Glass reappeared just before noon and 
joined the boys on the hill. The last of the 
unloading was finished shortly after and it was 
evident that all was in readiness for an attempt 
to haul the Jupiter off the ledges; all, that is, 


I 


296 PARTNERS THREE 

save the tide. That would not be at its height 
until 1 :56. Bill Glass announced. The lighter 
was pulled safely away from the schooner mean- 
while and taken around the point and anchored. 
Then the tug which had towed her lowered a 
boat and Hal, watching, jumped to his feet. 

“ That ’s dad, ” he said. “ He’s coming ashore. 
Come on, fellows. ” 

Hal hurried around the hill and down to the 
beach toward which the boat was making, and 
the others, including Bill Glass', followed more 
slowly. The boat ran up on to the sand on the 
crest of a breaker, a tall sailor in rubber boots 
leaped over the bow and pulled and tugged, 
another wave helped and Mr. Folsom jumped 
nimbly ashore. When the others arrived father 
and son were already walking up the hill toward 
the tent. Mr. Folsom was a man of medium 
size, with sharp black eyes, a dark beard and a 
seamed and weather-tanned face that told of 
the days when he had been a sailing captain 
instead of the head of a great business. He 
wore glasses, had a voice at least one size larger 
than his frame led you to expect and talked 
quickly and incisively. 

“How are you, Bee?” he greeted, nodding 


OLD VERNY'S WHARF 297 

briefly. “Having a good time here? Who's 
this, Harry?" 

“This is Jack Herrick, dad. Jack, this is — ” 

“Glad to know you, Jack." Mr. Folsom 
shook hands quickly. “I knew your father 
very well. Hello, Bill Glass? What are you 
doing here? Keeping an eye on these young 
Crusoes? How's your health?" 

“Ain't complainin', sir, ain't complainin'. 
Sorry to see the old Jupiter gone, Mr. Folsom. " 

“Gone? Not a bit of it! There isn't hole 
or a crack in her, Bill. She's good for another 
ten years. We'll have her on the railway by . 
sunset. A couple of dollars worth of pitch and 
oakum's all she needs. " 

“Glad to hear it, sir, glad to hear it. How 
about the crew, Mr. Folsom? All safe be they? " 

“Every mother's son of them. Jasper White 
has a broken arm and a Portugese named Paletto 
or something like that got a couple of ribs 
busted. That's all. I've got them in the hos- 
pital. Where's this camp of yours, Harry?" 

Hal led the way up and Mr. Folsom viewed 
it with interest. 

“ Good thing you pitched it on this side the 
island, " he observed. “You’d have blown away 


298 PARTNERS THREE 

otherwise. What time do you serve dinner?” 

“It’s time now,” answered Hal. “Will you 
stay, dad?” 

“If I get an invitation,” replied Mr. Folsom 
dryly. 

“We’ll have to have canned things, I guess,” 
said Jack. “We are all out of fresh meat.” 

“Anything is good when you’re hungry, 
Herrick. By the way, I want to tell you young- 
sters right now that the next time a storm like 
that comes up you’re to put out for home. 
Understand? Your mother had conniption fits 
all night, Harry. And I guess your folks must 
have been worried about you, Herrick. You 
ought to have known enough about weather to 
have seen what was coming, eh?” 

“Yes, sir, but by that time it was too stormy 
to get back,” replied Jack. “Hal wanted to 
go but I was afraid to risk it. ” 

“I see. Well, you might have reached the 
railroad and picked up a train. Don’t try it 
again. Found that treasure yet, Bee?” 

“No, sir, not yet. We’re still hunting. We 
found Verny’s wharf this morning, though.” 

Mr. Folsom had to hear about that and Bill 


OLD VERNY’S WHARF 


299 


Glass asked no end of questions and presently 
they all trooped down to see it. 

“ You remember this, Bill? ” asked Mr. Folsom 
when they had looked it over. 

“ Seems like I do, sort of,” responded Bill, 
scratching his head to aid memory. “ Seems, 
too, like there was a way alongside where the 
old man used to pull his boat up. That would 
be gone now, though, I cab ate.” 

“Yes, there’s been many a sea through here 
since Old Verny left,” agreed Mr. Folsom. 

! “ Well, that’s interesting, but not vastly import- 
ant, boys. ” 

Hal pointed out the dory to him and he said 
he would send someone for it. Then they re- 
traced their steps to the tent. Bill Glass, dis- 
claiming any desire for food, nevertheless ac- 
cepted an invitation to dinner and Jack set 
about opening the choicest of their canned del- 
icacies. 

“I suppose you boys slept right through the 
trouble last night,” observed Mr. Folsom pres- 
ently. “Or did you know about the Jupiter ?” 

The boys looked at each other and Hal began 
to laugh. Mr. Folsom frowned. “Well, what’s 
the joke, Harry?” he asked. 


300 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Why — why, dad, I thought you knew!” 

“Knew what? What tomfoolery have you 
been up to now, eh? ” 

“I like that!” laughed Hal. “If it hadn’t 
been for us, especially Jack and — Mr.Glass — 
things would have been a heap worse, I guess! 
It was we who sent word to the life savers, dad. ” 


CHAPTER XXV 


Mr. Folsom Makes An Offer 

“What?” exclaimed Mr. Folsom. How? 
When was this? Come, come, let’s have it, 
Harry!” 

So Hal, Bee assisting and Jack corroborating 
when called on, told the story from the time 
they had been awakened by the cannon until 
they reached Bill Glass’s cabin. After that Bill 
himself took up the tale. “ Plucky they was, 
Mr. Folsom,” he said in concluding. “Why 
bless ye, sir, ’t wan’t no night for a dog to be 
out! Most blowed away many’s the time we 
did, sir. One thing, sir, be plumb certain, an' 
that be that them boys saved more’n one life 
aboard the schooner last night! Take my word 
for it, sir! An’ Honest Bill Glass don’t lie!” 

Hal frowned. He had grown to like Bill Glass 
much better since yesterday, but he didn’t 
think it good taste on Bill’s part to insist on 
his honesty when they all knew that he had 


302 


PARTNERS THREE 


helped himself liberally to their belongings! 
But Hal's father only nodded. 

“I believe you, Bill,” he said. “Boys, this 
is a big surprise to me. I didn't know how the 
life saving crew learned of the wreck, but it 
hadn't occurred to me that it might have been 
through you. I don't see but what you're a 
parcel of young heroes! Well, I am certainly 
grateful, and I think the men will be when they 
learn of it. It appears to me, Herrick, that 
you're the prime hero of all, eh?” 

“Oh, no, sir.” Jack shook his head. “We 
all had a hand in it.” 

“It was Jack's idea, though,” said Hal. 
“We'd never have thought of getting to the 
railroad, would we, Bee?” 

“ Speak for yourself,” replied Bee with dignity, 
“I'd have thought of it — ultimately; perhaps 
this morning!” 

“And I haven't forgotten, Herrick, that you 
saved these two simpletons from an unpleasant 
experience, at least, and perhaps worse,” con- 
tinued Mr. Folsom. He was looking at Jack 
very hard with his sharp eyes, and Jack, embar- 
rassed, bent over his cooking. “You don't look 
very much like your father, but I guess you 
must be — a whole lot.” 


MR. FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 303 


“He be more like his grandfather,” agreed 
Bill Glass with conviction. “I mind a story 
they used to tell about the old Cap’n, sir. 
Likely you’ve hearn it. ’Twere in the old days 
afore the railroad came to Greenhaven an’ we 
had to go to Shepard’s Falls to get the cars. 
’Twas a three mile drive an’ like as not when 
you’d get there the train would be gone an’ 
there’d be no other till afternoon. Seems old 
Cap’n Herrick driv over one day an’ afore he 
could get his horse put up an’ leg it to the sta- 
tion, the train was a-pullin’ out. The Cap’n 
he waved an’ he shouted, but they didn’t see 
him an’ kep’ on a-goin’. So the Cap’n he lit 
out after the train. He had pretty long legs, the 
Cap’n did, an’ they say as long as they could 
see him from the station he was gainin’ on the 
train every leap! He cal’ated to catch up with 
it at Saunder’s Mill, which be only half a mile 
away, for in them days the train used to stop 
maybe three or four minutes at a station. 
Well, when the Cap’n got to Saunder’s there 
wa’n’t any train in sight. The agent there 
was on the platform, though, an’ the Cap’n 
he asks: ( Young feller, have you seen a train go 
by here?’ Well, the agent he stared an’ he 


304 


PARTNERS THREE 


says, ‘ Yes, sir, the Newb’ryport train just went 
out/ ‘How far ahead be she?’ asks the Cap’n. 
‘Maybe a half-mile by this time/ says the 
agent. ‘Sho!’ says the Cap’n. ‘Blessed if she 
ain’t gainin’ on me!’ An’ off he set again down 
the track. Well, sir, he hadn’t gone more’n 
a half-mile farther, likely, when he sees the 
train. Seems they’d got a hot bearin’ or lost a 
spar or somethin’, an’ the Cap’n he walks up 
and climbs aboard. An’ just then the con- 
ductor comes along an’ sees him an’ says, ‘Why 
Cap’n Herrick, where’d you come from?’ An’ 
the Cap’n, bein’ a little angry, says, ‘I come 
from Shepard’s an’ I’d be in Newb’ryport now 
if your fool train hadn’t been in my way!’ ” 

Jack laughed with the others and announced 
that dinner was ready. There weren’t plates 
enough to go around, nor cups either, but they 
got along somehow and everyone ate hungrily 
save Bill Glass. Bill explained apologetically 
that he’d had his breakfast pretty late — most 
eight o’clock — and wasn’t hungry yet! Mr. 
Folsom praised the dinner and the cook and 
then announced that he would have to get back 
to the tug. 

“I guess we can start to haul her off pretty 
soon now. Want to come along, Bill?” 


MR. FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 305 


Bill accepted the invitation eagerly. Hal 
asked if they couldn’t go too, but Mr. Folsom 
said they might be in the way. “You can see 
everything from here, boys. One thing you 
had better do, though, Hal, and that’s take a 
trip home this afternoon and let your mother 
see that you’re all right. You can spend the 
night and come back here tomorrow if you 
haven’t had enough of it. Herrick, you come 
along too and have some dinner with me this 
evening. I can’t promise as good as you gave, 
but you won’t go hungry. Harry, come and 
walk down to the beach with me.” 

By half-past two the Jupiter was safely off 
the ledge and by three the whole flotilla of 
boats had disappeared around Toller’s Rock. 
The boys had meanwhile decided to follow 
Mr. Folsom’s advice and return to town for 
the night. Hal was loath to leave their prop- 
erty unprotected, prophesying that they’d find 
even the tent stolen in the morning. But after 
he had removed almost everything movable 
except the tent to the Crystal Spring he felt 
easier in his mind. They were to take the sloop. 
The Crystal Spring had stood the gale well, but 
she had managed to swing her stern onto a sand 


306 


PARTNERS THREE 


bank and it took quick work to get her off 
before the tide fell. As they moved out of the 
river mouth Hal waved a fond farewell to the 
Corsair. 

“I shall never see you again,” he mourned. 
“Bill Glass said the other day that he guessed 
he’d have to have a motor boat, fellows, and 
here’s his chance.” 

“Look here,” said Bee, “I’m beginning to 
think we were all wrong about the pirate. I 
don’t believe he stole those things, after all.” 

“Well, who did then?” asked Hal. 

“I don’t know, but I’ll bet it wasn’t Bill 
Glass. I like Bill!” 

The wind had died down to a fresh breeze out 
of the north, but there was enough of it to send 
even the Crystal Spring along at a good pace and 
it was only a little after five when she sidled 
into Herrick’s Cove. Jack had tried to refuse 
Mr. Folsom’s invitation to dinner, but the 
others would not hear of it. 

“Besides,” said Hal, “he particularly wanted 
me to bring you. He — there’s something he 
wants to see you about.” 

So after a brief visit with Aunt Mercy and 
Faith the boys crossed the Neck and took the 


MR* FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 307 


ferry to town. Jack had changed into his best 
clothes, and Hal and Bee, still in camp attire, 
pretended that he was ashamed to be seen with 
them and walked behind him all the way up the 
hill to the house. Mrs. Folsom proved to be a 
rather plump, pleasant-faced, placid lady and 
Jack concluded that Mr. Folsom had stretched 
it a little when he had told about the “ connip- 
tion fits.” She welcomed Jack warmly and 
rather embarrassed him with her praise of his 
conduct. Mr. Folsom reached home late and 
dinner wasn’t served until long after seven, by 
which time there were three very hungry boys 
waiting. The dinner itself was more elaborate 
than any Jack had ever partaken of and he had 
to watch Hal closely to see which knife or fork 
to use. After dinner they went out to a wide 
screened porch that was furnished just like a 
room, with electric lights and deep chairs and 
tables and rugs and books, and Mrs. Folsom 
made coffee in a funny copper contrivance and 
Mr. Folsom, stretching himself in a long wicker 
chair, lighted a cigar and turned to Jack. 

“Herrick, Harry tells me you’re still running 
that water boat your father had. Doing pretty 
well, are you?” 

“Pretty well, sir.” 


308 PARTNERS THREE 

“ Could do better, though, if you had power, 
Harry says.” 

“Yes, sir, it’s hard to get around. And when 
there’s a calm I have to use the oars. There’s 
another boat selling water now — ” 

“ So I hear. Ever think of putting an engine 
in yours?” 

“Yes, sir, I’ve thought of it. I guess I’ll 
have to pretty soon.” 

“I would. Now look here, Jack, here’s a 
proposition. Last year we piped water down 
to the wharves so our boats could fill their tanks 
right at their berths. But the town water isn’t 
fit to drink half the time and our skipper tells 
us it gets rotten after it’s been in the butts a 
week or two. I don’t drink it myself; we buy 
spring water; and I don’t believe it’s fair to ask 
the men to. So much for that. Now I’ve got 
a twenty horsepower Albany engine stored away 
that came out of the Bessie and May a couple of 
years ago. It’s in good shape; never was used 
much; and it isn’t doing any good where it is. 
Here’s my offer, Jack. You take your boat up 
to Collins and Haggins’ railway and I’ll have 
them put that engine in her and fix her up in 
good shape. If she needs overhauling they 


MR. FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 309 


might as well do it. I'll have them make a good 
all-around job of her; new timbers or planks 
where they're needed; new stick, too, if you 
want. And a couple of coats of paint.” 

“Why — why — ” stammered Jack. “Thank 
you very much, Mr. Folsom, but — ” 

Mr. Folsom raised a protesting hand. “Wait 
a minute; I'm not through. Now I might do 
this for you and still be in your debt, my boy, 
but I think you're enough like your father to 
refuse to let me. So I'm going to make a trade 
with you. That spring water of yours doesn't 
cost you anything and it's mighty fine water. 
Now if I do what I've offered to, Jack, will you 
serve Folsom and Company's boats with water 
for a year without charge?'' 

“But — but that wouldn't be fair, sir! If 
you said three years — or four — ” 

“Hold on! We use a lot of water, my boy, 
nowadays. We have sixteen vessels in our 
fleet. Don't lose sight of that. It will keep 
you pretty busy attending to us at times. No, 
a year is enough. After that we'll make a new 
dicker with you, and I guess I can trust you to 
give us fair terms. Now, what do you say? 
Yes or no?'' 


310 


PARTNERS THREE 


“I say yes, of course, sir, and I — I can’t 
begin to tell you how much I — how grateful — ” 

“I understand. And I’m grateful to you for 
what you did last night, and what you did the 
other day when you rescued my boy and Bee off 
the Head. And now there’s one more thing. 
Have you ever thought of putting that water up 
in bottles and selling it that way?” 

“No, sir.” 

“Think it over. In this town I suppose more 
than half of us buy spring water in bottles or 
carboys for drinking purposes. And I guess 
most of us would as lief drink Crystal Spring 
water as any other kind. You could sell it 
cheaper, too, for you wouldn’t have to ship it. 
Better think that over, Jack.” 

“Say, that’s a dandy scheme, dad!” exclaimed 
Hal. “How did you happen to think of it?” 

“That doesn’t sound flattering, Harry,” 
laughed Mr. Folsom. “As a matter of fact, 
however, I hadn’t thought of it until I began to 
talk. Then it occurred to me that if Jack here 
could deliver that water to me I’d just as lief 
have it as the kind the grocer sells me. Jack, 
you stop at the office some day and we’ll talk 
it over. You’ll need a little money, probably, 


MR. FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 311 


to get the thing started. Perhaps I can help 
you there. Coffee ready, Lucy?” 

Later a date was agreed on when the Crystal 
Spring was to be at the marine railway and Mr. 
Folsom promised to see that the gasoline engine 
was delivered in time. The boys were greatly 
excited about it and Bee expressed regret that 
he could not remain in Greenhaven and help 
Jack run the boat. “And between times,” 
he said, “I could buzz around town in an auto 
truck and deliver bottles of spring water, Jack. 
Honest, you’d better make me an offer. I’m 
a dandy chauffeur — marine or — or terrestrial!” 

“That’s a fine old word!” applauded Hal. 
“But if you can’t chauffeur an auto truck any 
better than you can a launch — Say, Jack, I 
wonder if the Corsair’s gone yet! Dad, who is 
this Bill Glass?” 

“Who is Bill Glass?” Mr. Folsom set down 
his coffee cup. 

“Why do you ask, Harry?” 

“Why, because you seem to know him 
pretty well and we think he’s a bit of a rob- 
ber.” And Hal told of the disappearance of 
the articles from the launch and of Jack’s dory. 
When he had concluded Mr. Folsom shook his 
head. 


312 


PARTNERS THREE 


“ Harry, it’s a bad plan to judge folks by their 
looks. I’ve been fooled too often myself not to 
have learned that. There’s your mother. When 
I first saw her I thought she was a quiet, easy- 
going little woman who wouldn’t say ‘boo!’ 
to a fly. Well, you see how she’s turned out. 
Tyrannizes over me all the time; beats me: 
starves me to death!” 

Mrs. Folsom smiled placidly as the boys 
laughed. 

“But you’re all wrong about Bill Glass, Harry. 
Bill never stole in his life, and I doubt if he ever 
told a lie. Whoever took your things, it wasn’t 
Honest Bill Glass. Ever hear how he came by 
that name? Bill years ago sailed for Town- 
send; was mate and then captain. He had the 
Ellen T. for a couple of years and then they gave 
him the Massachusetts the first year she was 
built. Well, Bill had her off New Foundland 
and he got caught inside the three-mile limit 
by a revenue boat. Bill didn’t know he was 
inside the line until they nabbed him and took 
him to port. They libelled the boat and the 
case went to court. There wasn’t much of a 
case against him because it was pretty doubtful 
just where the Massachusetts had really been, 


MR. FOLSOM MAKES AN OFFER 313 


owing to the fog. I guess if Bill had been willing 
to lie about it they’d had to release him. But 
when they asked Bill he told the truth. 1 Quar- 
ter of a mile inside the limit/ said Bill. And 
they put on the fine and Townsend had to pay 
it. But that lost Bill his job. Townsend said 
he was a fool. Bill sailed for me as mate sev- 
eral years and then built himself a cabin over 
on the hay meadows and went to fishing. I 
guess he’d managed to save a little money, for 
I don’t think he makes much fishing, although 
I’ve seen him come in with a catch now and 
then. No, it wasn’t Honest Bill Glass who took 
that dory, boys.” 

“I didn’t think he did, anyway,” said Bee 
stoutly. “At least, not lately.” 

“Still, he certainly held us up good and hard 
for bringing us off Hog Island,” said Hal. 

“Oh,” laughed Mr. Folsom when he had 
heard about that, “Bill probably saw you 
suspected him and thought he’d make you pay 
for it. And besides I don’t see but what four 
dollars was a fair enough price. When you 
first asked me about Bill I thought maybe 
you’d heard something.” 

“Heard what, sir?” asked Harry. 


314 


PARTNERS THREE 


“Well, hesitated Mr. Folsom, “maybe I 
oughtn’t to speak of it. You boys will have to 
promise not to let it go any further. It’s pretty 
well known, I suppose, but nobody ever men- 
tions it.” 

“We promise,” said Hal eagerly. “What is 
it, dad?” 

Mr. Folsom laughed. “You’re as eager for 
gossip as a woman, Harry. It’s just this; if 
you boys ever found any treasure on Nobody’s 
Island it wouldn’t belong to you after all.” 

“It wouldn’t ? Why, sir?” asked Bee. 

“Because it would belong of right to Bill 
Glass.” 

“Bill Glass! Why — why, does he own the 
island, sir?” 

“No, although maybe he’s got as good a title 
to it as anyone. But that’s not the reason. 
The real reason is that anything Old Verny 
buried belongs to his heirs, and Bill Glass is 
Old Verny ’s son!” 


CHAPTER XXVI 
The Letter In The Dory 

“Yes,” continued Mr. Folsom when the 
expressions of surprise had died out, “Bill's 
real name is Jule Verny, or Verginaud. He 
was just a young chap when they took the old 
man prisoner and shot his elder brother, but he 
must have been a good swimmer, for they say 
he swam all the way from the island to Fort 
Point. Anyhow, he got away. And he stayed 
away for years, although there wasn't any 
reason why he should have, for he was just a 
boy and didn't have anything to do with his 
father's misdeeds, I guess. He showed up in 
Greenhaven years afterwards, when he was 
about thirty, I suppose, and no one would ever 
have known who he was if old Mother Chilten, 
who was about a hundred and never forgot a 
face, hadn't called him by his name on the 
wharf one day. And Bill wouldn't lie about it. 
But he always clung to the name of Glass, 
which I've suspected was a nickname given 


316 


PARTNERS THREE 


him on account of his glass eye. So now you 
know who Bill Glass is.” 

“But I don’t see,” said Bee presently, “why 
Bill seemed so anxious to have us dig for the 
treasure. He always insisted that it was there 
somewhere and that we might find it. If it is 
his — ” 

“Perhaps that is the reason,” replied Mr. 
Folsom with a smile. “I guess Bill has hunted 
pretty well for it and now he’s willing to have 
someone else do the work for him. I guess if 
you had found it you’d have discovered Bill not 
very far away, Bee! I suppose now you’ll give 
up your treasure hunting. I didn’t tell you this 
before because I thought there wasn’t much 
danger of your running across it and I didn’t 
want to spoil your fun.” 

“I’m not ready to give up yet,” replied Bee 
stoutly. “After all, it isn’t the money we 
want; it — it’s just the finding it! And unless 
the others are tired of it I’d like to keep on 
awhile longer. Anyway, it’s lots of fun on No- 
body’s, Mr. Folsom, and I’m getting so I’d 
rather sleep in a tent than indoors!” 

“We’ll give you until Monday, Bee,” laughed 
Hal. “If you haven’t found the treasure by 
that time we’ll quit. That’s fair, isn’t it?” 


THE LETTER IN THE DORY 317 


Bee agreed that it was, and shortly after- 
wards Jack, thanking Mr. Folsom again for his 
kindness, took his departure for the Neck. He 
didn’t go to sleep very soon after he was in bed, 
in spite of the fact that the hour was late. 
He had far too much to think about and was far 
too happy! 

The next forenoon the Crystal Spring returned 
to the island, but owing to the fact that there 
was almost no breeze — the day had turned out 
hot and sultry — it was nearly dinner time when 
she reached her anchorage. As the anchor 
splashed, Hal, who had laid hold of the Corsair , 
which was to bear them ashore, glanced toward 
the wharf. Instantly — 

“Jack!” he cried. “Bee! The dory’s 
back!” 

And sure enough, there was the Faith tug- 
ging gently at the painter. Conjecture was rife 
and the mystery was not explained until the 
Corsair was alongside the dory. In the bottom 
of the boat, lying on an old net, were the things 
stolen from the launch! 

“There’s the compass!” exclaimed Bee. 

“And the foghorn!” said Hal. 

“And the lanterns!” added Jack. 


318 


PARTNERS THREE 


In fact, everything had been returned except 
the boat-hook, and why that was not there was 
explained a moment later when Hal descried 
an envelope tucked amongst the articles. It 
was addressed to “ Mister H. Folsom, Esq.” 
and Hal broke the flap and drew forth a sheet of 
blue-lined, gilt-edged paper. 

“ It’s from Bill Glass,” he exclaimed. “ Listen, 
fellows.” And, with pauses where Bill’s pencil 
had run away from him or failed to work 
smoothly, Hal read: 

“Dear sir, here be your dory. I seen you 
wan’t going to look for it so i done it for you. 
Them portigees had it like i knewed they had 
and told you so. I had to pay them 2 dollars 
and Yl before they let go of them but thats 
alright because you paid me 4 dollars for bring- 
ing you off Hog Island and that was more than 
the job was warth but i was cross because you 
thot i had stolen your belongings. Wishing 
you luck i remane resp’t’y yours H. B. Glass. 

“P. S. The boathook want there but i got 
one you can have cheap the one i showed you. 

“P. P. S. Regards to the others from 
H. B. G.” 

“What’s the H. stand for?” asked Bee when 
they had read the note the second time. 


THE LETTER IN THE DORY 319 


“Why, Honest,” replied Jack. “Honest Bill 
Glass. See?” 

“Well, he’s certainly proud of that first 
name, isn’t he?” Bee laughed. 

“I guess he has a right to be,” returned 
Jack. “It isn’t such a bad first name, Bee.” 

“No, that’s true. Well, he is certainly a 
brick, fellows. And we’ll have to look him up 
and thank him.” 

“Maybe he will look us up,” replied Jack. 
“He probably left the dory here on his way out. 
I wonder who the ‘Portigees’ are who took the 
things. Probably some of those who live up 
by the track. It wouldn’t be difficult for them 
to sneak down the river at night and not be 
seen. Anyhow, I guess it doesn’t matter, now 
that we’ve got everything back — everything 
except the boat-hook. And as Bill says he has 
one we can have cheap.” 

“ I guess the least we can do is buy it,” laughed 
Hal. “Let’s go up and see if things are all right 
in the tent.” 

Their way led them by the scene of their 
recent excavations and suddenly Bee gave a cry 
of surprise and regret. 

“Fellows, the tree’s blown down! Gee, but 
I’m sorry. I liked that tree; it was such a 


320 


PARTNERS THREE 


plucky little old chap. And I suppose it was 
our fault, too. We dug around the roots and 
weakened it.” 

Bee walked across to where the apple tree 
lay on its side on the sand, uprooted, its leaves 
already limp and withered. He viewed it 
sorrowfully for a moment and then turned away 
to overtake the others. As he did so his gaze 
encountered something which protruded from 
the soil in the hole left by the uptorn tree. 
For a moment he stared unbelievingly. Then, 
with a shout of triumph, he jumped into the 
depression and when the others looked around 
he was half out of sight and a perfect stream of 
sand was flying through the air! When Hal 
and Jack, hurrying back, reached the scene Bee 
already uncovered one end of an iron chest. 
“ Quick!” he panted. “Get the shovels! I’ve 
found the treasure!” 


CHAPTER XXVII 
Treasure Trove! 

Jack ran for the shovels and in a moment, 
breathless and excited, the three boys were 
laboring mightily, getting in each others way 
and taking a quarter of an hour at least to do 
what might have been accomplished calmly by 
one worker in ten minutes! But at last the 
chest lay exposed. It was over two feet in 
length by some eighteen inches wide and of 
about the same depth. It appeared to be made 
of sheet iron and was reinforced on the edges. 
There was a handle at one end and traces of one 
at the other. It was covered with red rust and 
as they lifted it from the hole it threatened to 
fall to pieces in their hands. There were two 
simple hasp locks in front, one near each end. 
The boys laid the chest on the ground and 
looked at each other in triumph. 

“I told you we’d find it!” exulted Bee, his 
eyes sparkling. “And we have!” 

“And it isn’t ours,” mourned Hal. “What 


322 


PARTNERS THREE 


do you suppose is in it? It feels heavy enough!” 

“I mean to find out,” responded Bee. “ Let’s 
take it up to the tent, fellows.” 

“What’s the use?” asked Jack. “It isn’t 
ours. It belongs to Bill Glass and we might 
as well dump it into the launch and take it to 
him.” 

“That’s all right,” replied Bee doggedly, 
“but when I find hidden treasure I have a look 
at it, no matter whose it is! And I mean to 
open that chest and see what’s inside! It’s 
Bill Glass’s, but we found it and we ought at 
least to have a look at it.” 

Jack perhaps felt that Bee’s reasoning was 
faulty, but his own curiosity was too strong to 
allow of much conviction in his tones when he 
replied, “Well, we haven’t any business to open 
it, Bee, but — ” 

“Never mind the ‘buts’,” said Bee. 
“Where’s that pick? We’ll open it right here 
and have a look. Then we’ll put it in the 
launch and hand it over to Bill. Do you sup- 
pose there are jewels there, Jack? There must 
be gold, because it’s so heavy!” 

The point of the pick solved the locks in a 
twinkling. Hal and Jack bent forward and Bee, 


TREASURE TROVE! 


323 


after a moment of breathless hesitation, raised 
the lid. 

The first thing that met their eyes was a layer 
or covering of yellow-brown material that turned 
out to be canvas, stained and rotted. It fell to 
pieces as Bee tried to lift it aside, revealing a 
strange hodge-podge of silver ana silver-plate; 
oldfashioned butter-dishes, castors, spoon-hold- 
ers, sugar-bowls, knives, forks, spoons! 

‘‘What do you think of that!” gasped Hal. 

Bee delved into the mass, scattering the things 
to the ground. A watch-case minus the works — 
it might have been gold or only gold-plate — 
rewarded his search, as did a gold brooch set 
with coral. Then a small leather pouch, white 
with mold, secured with a leather thong that 
broke when Bee strove to loosen it, tumbled 
out of a sugar-bowl. Bee peered into the pouch 
and then inverted it. A number of coins fell 
out. 

“That’s more like it!” Bee muttered. 

They were all of silver, dollars and fifty-cent 
pieces, and when they were counted summed up 
to exactly twenty dollars. Bee tossed them 
back into the pouch disappointedly and pro- 
ceeded to empty the chest. A ship’s clock was 


324 


PARTNERS THREE 


near the bottom, its brass green with verdi- 
gris, its dial chipped and cracked, its old hands 
pointing to fourteen minutes after seven. 

“Now,” exclaimed Jack, “I’ll bet I know 
where Bill Glass got all those things he has on 
his walls! He dug them up here on the islanl !” 

“That’s just about it,” agreed Hal. When- 
ever Old Verny found a chest on a boat he just 
loaded it with this sort of truck and sunk it in 
the ground somewhere and I suppose Bill has 
been digging them up for years! It’s a bit of a 
sell on us, isn’t it?” 

“No,” answered Bee, who, having reached 
the bottom of the chest without discovering 
anything more valuable than the gold knob 
from a cane, was now returning the articles. 
“We set out to look for a treasure chest and we 
found it. I’m satisfied. Of course, it would 
have been more interesting to have found 
diamonds and gold, but we did what we set 
out to do. And Bill’s richer by twenty dollars 
— to say nothing of more spoons and sugar 
bowls and such things than he will ever be able 
to use!” 

“He has probably been doing that for years,” 
mused Jack. “Maybe that’s the way he’s 


TREASURE TROVE! 


325 


lived. Whenever he got hard-up he took a 
shovel, dug up a treasure chest and sold the 
contents! If that watch-case and the cane 
head and the other thing are really gold Bill 
ought to make about — about fifty or sixty 
dollars out of this lot. And that isn’t so bad!” 

“It must have kept Old Verny pretty busy 
burying things here/’ said Bee. “I wonder — ” 
He paused and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully 
— “I wonder, fellows, if this is the treasure 
chest, the one he buried when the officers came 
after him. I don’t believe it is! I believe 
that chest is still here!” 

Hal groaned. “For the love of mud, Bee, 
don’t tell me you’re going to start all over 
again!” 

Bee shook his head with a smile. “Not this 
summer, anyway, old Hal. But — next year — 
perhaps! It’s pretty good sport, this treasure 
hunting, but I’ve had enough for now and I’m 
ready to return to town and read about it in 
stories for awhile. Come on; let’s get this 
down to the launch anh take it to Bill.” 

When, twenty minutes later, they laid their 
find in front of the half-open door of Bill Glass’s 
cabin and knocked, there was no response. Jack 


326 


PARTNERS THREE 


pushed the door wide and they looked in. The 
cabin was empty save for Benjamin Franklin. 
Benjamin sat amidst the dinner dishes, blink- 
ing benignly in the sunlight. On the walls the 
fourteen clocks tick-ticked noisily and the 
stuffed parrot studied them with beady eyes. 
They laid the chest on a chair and Bee found a 
piece of paper and wrote on it: “For Honest 
Bill Glass, with best wishes from The Treasure 
Hunters Company, Ltd.” This he placed on 
the old chest and they started out. Then — 

“Ding, dong!” said a ship’s clock with a 
tenor voice. 

“Ting, tang,” piped a clock with a soprano 
voice. 

And then came all the others in a weird jumble 
of sound, and the boys hurried out laughing, 
Bee with his hands over his ears. 

“Two bells,” exclaimed Hal. “Why, it’s 
long after dinner time! Come on, fellows; 
something calls me!” 

So they tumbled back into the Corsair and 
returned to the island for their last dinner 
there. By three o’clock everything was 
bundled aboard the sloop or the launch and they 
said good-bye to Nobody’s Island. 


TREASURE TROVE! 


327 


“ We had a mighty good time there,” reflected 
Bee. “It wasn't what you'd call a fancy treas- 
ure island, but it was a good plain treasure 
island. Something sort of tells me I'll be back 
there some day, fellows.” 

“If you are I'll see that you don't have a 
shovel with you!” muttered Hal as he emptied 
the last drop of oil in the oil-can where it would 
do the least possible good. Then the breeze 
caught the patched, gray mainsail of the Crystal 
Spring and the three boats rounded The Clinker 
and Nobody's Island was lost to sight. 

Three weeks later, almost to an hour, the 
boys again sat in the cockpit of the Crystal 
Spring . But what a different Crystal Spring 
it was! Amidship, an engine, gay in black 
enamel and brass, hummed and purred and 
clicked. The mast had been freshly scraped 
and varnished, the deck looked like new, the 
hull glistened like a raven's wing and an immacu- 
late white mainsail lay furled along the boom 
under a creamy canvas cover. No, you'd 
hardly have recognized the old sloop. There 
was even a new pump, and instead of having 
to operate it by hand Jack need merely uncouple 


328 


PARTNERS THREE 


the propeller shaft by the move of a lever, start 
the engine and the pump would throw such a 
stream as would fill a tank in almost no time! 

Bee was returning home on the morrow and 
this meeting was in the nature of a farewell 
gathering, although Jack was to accompany the 
boys back to dinner later. The Crystal Spring , 
lazing along at three or four miles an hour, was 
passing the entrance of the canal at the end of 
the harbor when Jack suddenly moved the helm 
over and, reaching forward, pulled the throttle 
wider. 

“What is it?” asked Hal. 

Jack pointed to where, a mile away, the snub- 
nosed lighthouse tender was just moving into 
sight around the end of the breakwater. 

“ Hurrah!” cried Bee. “Hit her up, Jack!” 

The Crystal Spring dug her nose and pushed 
the water aside while the engine hummed louder 
and faster. No one could liken the sloop’s 
progress to the flight of an arrow, but what she 
lacked in grace she made up for in power, and 
by the time she was half-way to Gull Island 
she was slapping off a good seven miles! And 
just as they reached the inner end of the island 
a buff cat-rigged boat under power hurried 
forth from the basin. 


TREASURE TROVE! 329 

“There she is!” whispered Hal. “Can you 
beat her, Jack?” 

“Watch me,” answered Jack with a grim 
smile. 

The Morning Star had something of a start 
and her engine was buzzing and her exhaust 
popping for all they were worth. But foot by 
foot the old Crystal Spring gained as they 
swept by the wharves. Along the string-pieces 
idlers, sunning themselves, saw the race and 
shouted them on. The government boat was 
slowing down to drop her anchor now. 

“Open her up just a tiny bit more, Hal,” 
directed Jack softly. Hal touched the throttle 
lever gently and the engine purred more quickly. 
Then the bow of the sloop was even with the 
stern of her rival and the Lampron brothers, 
gazing across, scowled angrily. Faster now 
the Crystal Spring swept through the water. 
The Morning Star no longer led; the sloop was 
even with her. And now the Crystal Spring 
was actually drawing away; there was clear 
water between them! 

A little farther the Morning Star held on, 
then the helm went over and the rival water 
boat swung off her course, accepting defeat. 
In the bow, at the wheel, Tony Lampron gazed 


330 


PARTNERS THREE 


after the Crystal Spring and shook his fist. 
Jack, seeing, smiled and seized a small mega- 
phone from its rack. As the Morning Star 
headed back toward the basin Jack put the 
megaphone to his mouth. 

“ Where you been some time, Mister?” he 
shouted. 











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